9*3 STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



seldom be tamed. If deprived of its freedom it loses its beauty. 



Nature may give us many hints regarding- the improvement 

 of highways. If allowed to do so she ornaments them well. 

 While in some places straight regular avenues of trees may be the 

 best form of highway planting, the natural growth which comes 

 of itself is often more attractive. A little assistance to such 

 growth may many times add greatly to the beauty of a road. 



Church and school grounds are perhaps the most hideous of 

 all places with regard to ornamental features. Church garden- 

 ing has scarcely been thought of in America yet a very simple 

 treatment would often suffice to almost transform the picture. In 

 the church it is less serious than in the school because people are 

 compelled to stay there but a brief period on Sunday. At the 

 school our children, during the most impressionable period of 

 their lives, are compelled to spend a considerable portion of their 

 waking hours. Is it right that they should spend those hours in 

 such barren and dreary places as they generally must? It is 

 argued that children will destroy whatever is planted, that plant- 

 ing will do no good. That argument has some foundation but 

 far too little to warrant its preventing planting about the school 

 buildings. If the children themselves are interested in the work 

 and are allowed to help do it, the damage wrought will not be too 

 great to admit of easy repair. Do we not owe it to our children 

 that they should have something of beauty in their surroundings 

 during their earlier school years? The treatment need not be 

 elaborate ; the simple things growing in the woods and along 

 the fences near by may be just as effective as stock purchased 

 from the nurseryman. Indeed it is often more so. School 

 gardens are coming to be known in our cities, why not oftener 

 in the country? 



The home garden is the most important. It is here that we 

 may hope for most and here that we may accomplish most because 

 there may be persistency of effort. It is not necessary that there 

 should be expensive plants and money outlay. It is not neces- 

 sary that the buildings should be expensive or attractive in them- 

 selves. The simplest dwelling with a proper setting may become 

 far more attractive than the costly one without such setting. 

 Taste, love and labor are the only essentials. The woods and 

 fields offer an abundance of material. 



