228 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



thus ensuring that independence and privacy which are absolutely- 

 essential and are almost universally neglected. 



Great beauty can be added to the grounds by vines, and nothing 

 is lovelier than the wild grape vines, the clematis and the wood- 

 bind, which grow everywhere in our woods, are perfectly hardy and 

 need no care. If the school house is stone or brick it can be cov- 

 ered with the variety of woodbine so plentiful in Faribault and 

 Northfield and, perhaps, elsewhere, which clings to brick and stone 

 without support. 



As to flowers, much must depend on the interest and perma- 

 nency of the teacher, but some flowers can be managed in every 

 neighborhood. Wild flowers can easily be transplanted, such as 

 violets, dicentras, trilliums, asters, • brown eyed Susans, anemones 

 and golden rod ; self perpetuating garden flowers, such as lilies of 

 the valley, perennial phlox, iris, coliunbine, golden glow, peonies 

 and phlox. To these may be added countless others if the teacher 

 is the sort to be interested and to realize the importance of this 

 study for the children. 



But a school yard should be not only a place for the children 

 but one for the whole neighborhood. It is not feasible in most 

 places to have a separate park, but its school grounds may take 

 the place of one. They should be appropriate for picnics, for Fourth 

 of July speeches, for family outings. There should be a few garden 

 seats. The big boys of the school can make them and would be 

 glad to. There ought to be a box in which to throw papers or odds 

 and ends, that even the country accumulates. The lawn can be im- 

 proved by sprinkling white clover on poor places. 



The approach to the school can be made more attractive by 

 planting avenues of trees. A strenuous effort should be made to 

 eradicate the fast spreading poison ivy. 



The grass can be mowed with a field mower. 



Excellent plans are given in the Cornell bulletin, No. i6o, pub- 

 lished at Ithaca, N. Y., at the agricultural station. 



Now as to the method and workers. The women of the state 

 have been given the unsought privilege — and a privilege is 

 a duty— of voting in educational matters. They should go to the 

 school meetings with suggestions. They should request the ap- 

 propriation of twenty-five, ten, five dollars, as the case may be. each 

 year for the improvement of the grounds. They should have a 

 sub-committee appointed as park committee or committee on school 

 grounds. The men will in most cases be glad to help, and the 

 young people, I believe, always. Much should be made of Arbor 

 Dav. It should be a festive occasion when men, teams, women and 



