150 STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



jiud the general average of locations is concerned, ask a landscape gardener to 

 select such locations as he thinks best suited for the purpose of displaying his 

 skill as an artist, and I am sure that the last of all locations he woukl select 

 would be the average country school yards as now seen throughout this and our 

 sister States. 



Most of them consist of from one-fourth to one-half of an acre of land cutout 

 of some farm lot and fronting the main highway, fenced with a high board or rail 

 fence; school building of the plainest style of architecture situated in the center 

 of this little area with a big wood pile scattered over the ground on the "boys' 

 side,'' and some old board play house litter, on the ''girls' side," and two out- 

 houses of the most dilapidated kind, one in each back corner of said narrow 

 enclosure. This is about the way I find our much lauded institutions of learn- 

 ing throughout the rural districts; and if these are the places you desire orna- 

 mented by a landscape gardener, I am sure he will turn away heart-sick and 

 repeat to himself that old saying ''Casting your pearls before swine." That 

 there is need enough for improvement in this matter of ornamentation, none 

 can fail to see. That more attention 2)aid to this subject of beautifying the 

 grounds where our little ones spend so many long and too often wearisome 

 days, would bring a rich reward in good temper, good morals, more ennobled 

 views and thoughts; more purity of purpose, and withal, better Christianity, 

 can hardly admit of a doubt ; but what shall be done to accomplish these desir- 

 able results, is the question? 



Here are from twenty-five to fifty or more honest old farmers, each of 

 whom has an interest in this country school house; sends his children here 

 to school and perhaps in time past finished his education in this or a worse 

 looking place. Each, of course, has his say about all matters of improve- 

 ment and outlay of means. Mr. A. lives in a fine tasty house with curved 

 walks and drives up to his door, beautiful trees, shrubs and flowers, ar- 

 ranged in the most pleasing order, scattered around over his well kept lawns, 

 and in winter there is a constant succession of brilliant flowers bloom ins; in the 

 conservatory, all cared for by his equally tasteful wife and daughter, and, as a 

 matter of course, he and his family sa}^ " It's too bad that something is not 

 done to improve tlie appearance of the district school grounds;" and, perhaps, 

 they set out a few spare trees there, and often the children bring of their abun- 

 dance a few flowers for the schoolma'am, who is delighted, and all the little 

 ones as well, liut just across the road lives Mr. B., and his house is very plain, 

 his barns, other buildings and family, also the same. Not a tree, save a row 

 of dying locusts along the front of his little pinched up front yard which is 

 fenced with a high picket fence to keep the turkeys out, and not a flower to be 

 seen save perhaps a sweet briar, a live-forever, or a snow drop bush, all of which 

 are so tenacious of life as to live in spite of the choking grass and weeds on 

 every side. Well, here is a ])icture of the two classes of persons that meet to- 

 gether to vote money for school purposes. Perhai)S farmer B. has as much 

 money as farmer A., and he knows it too, and u])on this he rests content and 

 says, "All nonsense, these high-toned notions. I never had any use for such 

 things and don't mean that tny children shall fool away their time witii such 

 trash ; better git their rithmetic an gografy lessons and git ready to make money 

 a? I have." Of course he will give nothing for ornamental purposjs, and his 

 boys will tear down and destroy all that Mr. A. has done; for they are little 

 better than brutes. And if Mr. B. has the say about locating a school house 

 he will get the cheapest, inost out-of-tlie-way place possible, and think iie is 

 serving the world best by so doing. What, then, can be done for the country 



