82 State Horticultural Society. 



have not found out how easily and how clieaply the work may be done 

 We think of landscape gardening as implying rare and expensive plant, 

 lawns which we must not step upon, constant clipping of flower beds aid 

 frequent working of mowers, rollers and rakes. As a matter of fa't.. 

 the planting best adapted to our school grounds is not that sort of thng 

 at all. It should be a simple grouping of our native trees, shrubs, vhes 

 and wild flowers such as school children love, and such as they nay 

 arrange by noting just how they gTow in the fields and woods. 



The first consideration should be not to obstruct the play giound. 

 Xo healthy minded boy wants a bush growing in the way of his ba-e 1)all 

 grounds, or a flower bed under his feet when he is playing leapfrog ; 

 besides, these things would not thrive there if he did. Some garde lers say 

 the most important thing in a well planted place is the green griss lawn. 

 Tn considering school gTOunds we will omit this factor. Whac healthy 

 boy would allow the grass to grow under his feet that way ; or tIio wants 

 him to anyhow ? Let the ground be as bare as ball and bat tnd sliinuA 

 club usually cause it to be; we are not planting to restrict the boy's 

 rights but to enlarge them. 



The first thing we want, is to furnish some shade. What better 

 thing for this than our native trees ? The elm, oak an I sugar maple, 

 are among the best for permanent shade. The soft maple, the boxelder 

 and the sycamore are rapid growers and should be plarted among these 

 long lived sorts to afford some shade while they are grcwing up and then 

 removed when the elms, oaks and sugar maples need the space. 



These trees should not obstruct the play grounds, but should lie set 

 in groups about the borders and especially at the corners. They should 

 be placed where shade is needed, not where they will l)e in the way. 

 Small trees or even seeds should be selected for planting. If trees are 

 dug in the woods, they should be no larger than may be carried home in 

 the hand. They may be planted in fall or s])riiig, but never when they 

 are in leaf. As soon as they are dug a wet sack or something of the 

 sort should be wrapped about their roots to prevent their drying out 

 while they are being carried to the place of planting. As the roots are 

 necessarily cut away somewhat in taking the trees up, the side branches 

 above ground should be cut back to correspond with the reduced roots. 



