530 BOAKD OF AGRICULTURE. 



the truth to assert that the more favorable one's euvirouments, the easier 

 will be his success in right living, and this is especially true in chiklhood. 



All thoughtful parents and teachers recognize the importance of right 

 influence in the training of the young, but few comparatively attach suffi- 

 cient importance to attractive and helpful physical conditions. 



The beneficent influence of a beautiful schoolroom has been influenced 

 by many a teacher. 



There are quite a number oJ: the listeners now Avho can recall back- 

 woods schools when the approach of summer permitted them to transform 

 the rude hovel in which school was kept into a bower of beauty. How 

 pleasant was the task of cutting the green branches from the trees near 

 at hand and flllmg up the old wide-mouthed fireplace and covering the 

 rafters with living green and then flecking all Avith boughs of the June- 

 berry, laden with white blossoms. As beauty came into the huml)le school 

 how mischief went out; even the rude bouquet on the teacher's table Avas 

 an invitation to beautiful conduct. 



HoAV easy were the lessons and how happily all responded to the 

 teacher's wishes. 



The removal of a school to a new building has transformed many a 

 school and many a teacher has thus been made happy. On the contrary," 

 a dirty, dingy and dilapidated school house is a constant temptation, not 

 only to disorder but to low aims. 



A State Superintendent once visited a Ijeautiful village to give an ad- 

 dress. The people lived in pleasant homes, bright Avith paint and sur- 

 rounded with well-kept grounds, ornamented Avith shrubbery and flOAvers. 

 He expected to find a schoolroom in harmony Avith the thrift and taste 

 of the people; but, to his surprise, the public school occupied a dilapidated 

 Avoodeu structure in an open lot Avithout shriib or tree for ornament or 

 shade. On reaching the front porch he found the doors and casements 

 cut and otherAA-ise disfigured with obscenity, and on entering he found the 

 rooms equally disgraceful. The floors Avere stained Avith ink, and dirty; 

 the curtains in tatters, the outline maps torn and dirty, and the desks 

 staring with obscene words an^ figures. He called the attention of the 

 school board, who were with him, to the desks and entered an earnest 

 protest against their permitting innocent children to occupy such seats. 



He was met with the remark, "It's no use to put nice furniture in a 

 schoolroom in this tOAvn; we have the Avorst set of boys in the country." 



The Superintendent suggested that the obscene school house might be 

 somewhat responsible for the depravity of the boys, and he earnestly 

 lu-ged the place to be purified— if necessary by fire. 



In a short time afterAvards the same Superintendent visited another 

 A-illage to give an address on the occasion of the gi'aduation of a class 

 from the high school. The building, a plain brick structure, occupied an 

 entire square near the center of the town: the lot Avas surromided by 

 double roAvs of shade trees and the grounds in trout AA^ere neatly laid 



