MISCELLANEOUS PAPERS. 147 



seiico from homo and other interruptions have deferred my attention to the 

 subject until near the time given for a reply. 



There is nothing in rural improvement Avhere a greater need exists. Coun- 

 try school houses are badly neglected. In riding through so prosperous a 

 region of country as sonie of the best counties of western New York, one may 

 at once select the school houses by tiie entirely neglected surroundings, and 

 the bleak walls unshaded by a single tree. In one instance, a district school 

 house was seen in a dilapidated condition, its original cost not amounting to 

 five hundred dollars, while two brick barns were within view, each evidently 

 costins: five or six thousawd dollars. This contrast indicated the relative esti- 

 timation of the farmers of their horses and tlieir children. 



There are several reasons why the surroundings of school houses should 

 be made pleasing in character. Children should not be driven from them by 

 their repulsive appearance. Their early days and early impressions should be 

 connected with the cultivation of landscape taste, w'hich would undoubtedly 

 tend strongly to draw them away from the demoralizing influences of street 

 lounging and of drinking saloons. The lessons thus impressed on young 

 minds in favor of landscape improvement would increase the attractions of rural 

 life and of home influences. 



Some years ago I had an opportunity for trying an experiment to induce 

 school-house planting. The trustees of the district school were about to erect 

 a new building on a piece of land which they were to buy of me. They re- 

 luctantly consented to my condition, that there should be at least a dozen 

 deciduous trees and as many evergreens planted and kept in thrifty condition, 

 'at the rear, sides and in front of the house, under the forfeiture of a specified 

 sum. They paid the penalty the first year, and then complied with the condi- 

 tions. That is now the only district school house in that part of the country 

 that is surrounded with handsome shade trees. 



The character of the planting must vary with the character of the people. 

 If they have but little horticultural taste, they must not attempt too much. 

 The school house lot should be an acre at least, and may be simply flanked 

 with few scattered trees and groups. The ground should be seeded to grass, 

 which should be cut with a hand lawn mower at least once a week in the sum- 

 mer season. This will afford a handsome green carpet for the children to 

 tread on, the play ground occupying the rear, so that the lawn in front may 

 not be worn brown by their active feet. A gravel walk may extend to the 

 house in front, provided it can be kept in perfect order, otherwise it should be 

 omitted. Such grounds, neatly kept, would afford a pleasant combination of 

 shade and grass carpet, that could not fail to have a cultivating influence on 

 the developing mind. 



Where much horticultural taste exists in the neighborhood, and a teacher 

 can be secured who will carry out this taste, a few circular flower beds properly 

 cut in the grass, and filled with such continued and brilliant bloomers as ver- 

 benas, Drummond phlox, geraniums, double zinnias, etc., may be made to 

 give strong attractive charms to tiie premises. It would add greatly to the 

 preservation of the grounds in good order, as well as to the cultured influence 

 on the 3^oung mind, for the scholars to be enlisted in taking care of them and 

 in preserving tlieir neatness and finish. We have seen this method tried with 

 much success on the grounds of a higher seminary, a horticultural society be- 

 ing formed by teachers and students, the former havins^ a general control of 

 the work. In another instance, the teacher of a district school succeeded in 

 the cultivation of annuals about the school house, and a profuse and brilliant 



