10 



Let me urge on you, in making your plan, not to waste your energies 

 in placing great quantities of varieties of plants and flowers in the space 

 given, or in stripping away all the old landmarks and reducing your 

 grounds to formal gardens of walks and beds and borders, but to take 

 things as you find them, to study them closely and in detail, and in 

 their relation to the whole, that you may know best what use to make of 

 them; and above all to get such a conception of the possibilities of that 

 bit of landscape which you have set about to beautify, that you will 

 arrange for the planting of no tree or shrub or vine without first being 

 able to see just what its relation to your whole scheme will be. 



THE PLAN 



The first essential for the work of beautifying the grounds will be a 

 plan. The beginning of this plan may be a rough sketch of the area 

 on which the school building stands, with directions and distances 

 marked upon it. Next, locate the permanent objects, such as trees and 

 buildings. Determine next the main lines of travel leading to the 



schoolhouse and use 

 these as a basis for the 

 permanent walks, unless 

 there is some good reason 

 for changing the main 

 paths. The walks and 

 drives should be straight, 

 if distances are less than 

 100 feet, and gently 

 curved if longer, so as to 

 admit of the use of trees 

 and shrubs along the 

 border. The outlook 

 from each door and win- 

 dow should be carefully 

 inspected before deter- 

 mining which objects in the landscape should be retained in view and 

 which hidden or concealed by the use of trees and shrubs. 



Trees and shrubs should be confined chiefly to the borders of the 

 place, and in rural schools the trees should be so located as to give pro- 

 tection from storms in winter and from the sun in summer, and at the 

 same time to produce a pleasing effect. Shrubs may be employed to 

 an advantage in screening unsightly objects. The plans of the grounds 

 will serve both as an exercise in geography and arithmetic, and if the 

 pupils are encouraged to make such designs that their interest in the 

 work will be assured and a practical application of the principles 

 taught in the schoolroom will be a result of no little value. 



Pleasant School Surroundings Make Happy Hearts and 

 Smiling Faces." 



