126 LANDSCAPE GARDENING. 



substitute for this, Arbor-day, when the planting of public 

 grounds by the united effort of every one who can give a 

 few hours to the good work, would soon result in beautifying 

 all of our public squares, village commons, and roadways. 



School-yard Decoration. 



Much has been written in the past few years on the sub- 

 ject of the decoration of our public-school yards or play- 

 grounds, and some progress has been made in teaching 

 the average village schoolboy that there are some things 

 about our school buildings and grounds that he ought to 

 respect. Very little, however, can be done in this direc- 

 tion until the pupils come to see and understand the effect 

 of beautiful surroundings and acquire something of a love 

 for neatness and beauty, both inside of the school-house 

 and on the play-grounds. 



This may be accomplished in a measure if nature-studies 

 are taught to our younger pupils in the public schools, or 

 better still if at home they learn something of the beauty 

 and wonders of the natural world about them, and of the 

 necessity of some effort and restraint on their part in 

 obtaining and preserving the things of comfort and beauty 

 that they are permitted to use. 



One of the first conditions or requirements of successful 

 decoration of school-yards is an abundance of land. The 

 quarter or half acre upon which school-buildings are usually 

 located is by far too small to provide space for large num- 

 bers of children to play football, baseball, and other vigorous 

 games and have any space for decoration, and it is useless 

 to attempt anything more than the planting of a few large 

 trees upon such grounds that will withstand the attack of 



