138 STATE rOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



and joyous clay of yoiuli. And I think in like way if we are to develop the 

 love for, and appreciation of the beautiful, the training must be voluntary and 

 enjoyable on the part of the child. He must himself plant and care for the 

 trees and flowers. Ills hand must paint and hang the mottoes, if he is to get 

 the ofreatest £:ood from them. How he can be induced to do this is a Question 

 better answered by men of more experience in educational matters ; but it 

 seems to me that a joint effort on the part of the department of education 

 and the officers of the pomological society might develop a system of prizes 

 that would soon change our ugly and unattractive school-rooms and yards into 

 things of beauty that would be a joy forever to those attending them. 

 Certainly the object aimed at is worth the effort. 



President Lyon is an old teacher, and in response to the circular he sent the 

 following entertaining letter: 



PRESIDENT LYON'S OPIXIOX. 



Before proceeding to consider plans and processes for the proper ornamenta- 

 tion of school grounds, we may be allowed to call attention to the purposes for 

 which they are required, and to the space requisite for such purpose. In so do- 

 ing, we remark that, away from cities and villages, the school house and 

 grounds must afford shelter and accommodation to the teacher and scholars, 

 not only during the hours of school, but to a great extent, during recesses; 

 and since country residences must necessarily often be quite remote from 

 the school, the scholars not unfrequently must require accommodation there, 

 even before and after school hours. 



During inclement weather, the building itself must afford the shelter re- 

 quired; but, when the weather will permit, the exuberant spirits of scholars 

 Avho must, for six hours each day, be confined to the seats of the^school room, 

 call for, and should by all means be afforded ample space, in the open air, to 

 enable them to indulge freely in the sports so needful to maintain them in 

 vigorous health, both physical and mental. To properly supply this want, 

 calls for not merely the eighth or quarter of an acre usually appropriated to the 

 purpose ; but rather demands grounds ample for such an object, sufficient to 

 save the necessity of appropriating the highway for the purpose, with the al- 

 ternative of trespassing upon the neighboring fields, to say nothing of the 

 ground required to be planted with trees and shrubbery, as a means of afford- 

 ing slielter or protection from the bleak and inclement winds of autumn, win- 

 ter and spring. And when we reflect that we are considering the wants of 

 country schools, where lands are usually of only moderate cost, we feel it to be 

 quite within reasonable limit, to claim that from two to four or even five acres 

 (depending upon the size of the school), should be provided for the purpose. 



The school building should be placed well back from the highway; and the 

 grounds should certainly be, either naturally or artificially, thoroughly drained, 

 while, at the same time, the soil should not be so sandy or porous as to essen- 

 tially lack compactness. An east or south front should be preferred, so that 

 the entrance shall not be too bleak, even if left fully exposed. 



We now come to the consideration of the first query of the secretary. 



now TO FENCE THE YARDS. 



The grounds should certainly be thoroughly isolated from the adjacent 

 lands, — so much so as to avoid, as far as possible, all occasion to trespass upon 

 them. To accomplish tiiis object would require a fence not easily passed; and 

 it may and should at the same time bo made to answer as a screen 



