132 STATE rOMOLOGlCAL SOCIETY. 



The school-house should be the center of attraction in every country district. 

 It should be a model in its inner arrangements and outward embellishments. 

 "We have now to deal more particularly with the latter because these come 

 Avithin the realm of horticulture. In the same way that a museum of speci- 

 mens is collected for instruction within doors, there should be a collection of 

 trees and plants about the lawn. Pupils should be made familiar with the 

 o-rowth of plants, shrubs, and trees by immediate and constant contact with 

 them at school, and will become especially interested in any that are placed 

 under their care and protection. The idea that the school grounds are simply 

 a romping place is erroneous. There is nearly as much to be learned in the 

 yard as in the house from May until October, and the material brought into 

 the yard should be protected as carefully as maps, charts, globes, etc. indoors. 



The first and greatest objection that will be made by the majority to the 

 use of the school yard for purposes of instruction, is that the children must 

 have a place to run and play games without the danger of continually injuring 

 something; they must have fun, and he can not appreciate the necessities of 

 childhood who would so hedge about the sports as to take all the activity from 

 them. 



This objection is easily met by the assurance that it is in the power of any 

 teacher of gumption, to originate and assist in maintaining such sports as will 

 in no way conflict with the growing of plants, shrubs, and trees, and even an- 

 nual flowers in the school-yard. Because boys desire to play ''long-ball" or 

 ''ante over" is no argument in favor of doing without windows in the school- 

 room. If these games break window lights there must be a substitution of a 

 less objectionable game. 



Some one has suggested that the school grounds should bo beautifully 

 planted and everything placed in the best of order before the children are 

 allowed there, and when school opens let the mandate go forth that everything 

 in the yard is for purposes of instruction, and must be used as globes and maps 

 are used, and cared for in the same manner. 



This is wrong in principle and policy. It were better to begin with bare 

 school-houses and grounds, and let every addition be made by the pupils under 

 the judicious guidance of the teacher. Each scholar should feel an interest 

 and pride in the development of the work, and this state of feeling can only 

 be brought about by having their hands do the work. Just so soon as the 

 pupils appreciate the fact that they are partners in tlie possession of each 

 added tree or vine, a detective force is at once formed for the preservation of 

 the property. But just so long as the feeling is engendered that the school-house 

 and grounds are district property with no especial responsibility save in a board 

 of trustees, there will be the constant difficulty in maintaining the property in 

 presentable condition. 



Again, aside from the use of the appointments of the school yard, as a means 

 of giving instruction in the names and habits of plants, the school premises 

 should be a model for the liomes about it, and if jiroper attention is given to 

 the matter, this will be tlie case without any endeavor to make it such. The 

 work done in the school yard will be tlie inducement to work at home, and 

 there is no doubt that in a decade wondrous changes might be worked through- 

 out the country in the ornamentation of exterior houses, if the work could 

 only be started about the school-houses. 



It is said that public opinion must be manufactured before anything can be 

 done of worth in the ornamentation of school yards, but may not the work 



