Ideal School Grounds 109 



work of the school, or other essentials, should be 

 sacrificed." 



2. The water supply. The purity of the water 

 supply for the school is no less important from the 

 standpoint of health than that of the air supply. 

 The greatest danger lies in the use of water taken from 

 wells that are used only a portion of the year. Such 

 water is certain to become stagnant. In the autumn 

 before the term commences special care should be 

 taken to pump all water out of the well and to clean 

 the same if necessary; thereby much sickness may 

 be avoided. The well, of course, should be so lo- 

 cated as to avoid any contamination owing to vaults 

 or drains. 



3. Size and adaptation of grounds. The school 

 grounds should contain at least three acres, and five 

 acres would not be too much. While the cities are 

 cramped for playgrounds and purchase them only at 

 a high cost, the latter can be secured in the country 

 in sufficient size and at a relatively small expense. 

 Let it be kept constantly in mind that the school 

 grounds should be adapted for play, that they should 

 afford a protection from winds, and that they should 

 also be attractive. They should likewise be adapted 

 for school gardening and experiments in agriculture. 

 For the purpose of play, the breadth should exceed 

 the depth where there are separate grounds for boys 

 and girls. Where the playground is large, the build- 

 ing should be centrally located with relation to the 



