196 AGRICULTURE 



marigolds and by the varied colors of cosmos, conspicuous 

 above its fringe-like foliage. 



Beautifying the school grounds. The same principles, 

 in the main, will apply to the school as to the home 

 garden. As a general thing, more hardy plants should 

 be chosen for the school grounds for the reason that dur- 

 ing the part of the year when the school is not in session 

 they will probably receive no attention whatever. Hence 

 it is well to choose native shrubs and flowers for planting 

 around the schoolhouse. Many wild plants grown in the 

 woods are quite as beautiful as the most expensive pro- 

 ductions of the florist. An ideal location for a schoolhouse 

 is in a grove, for then there is no need for flowers, except, 

 perhaps, in a special school garden beyond the shade of the 

 trees. The school garden should be a plot of ground near 

 the school, in which each pupil has his own little collection 

 of flowers, vegetables, and crop plants. 



EXERCISE. Write in your notebook the common names of all the 

 wild or cultivated shrubs that you think would make the school grounds 

 look better. Think about the best place to plant them. Do you know 

 where they could be obtained without cost? 



NOTE TO THE TEACHER. This section affords an opportunity to 

 impress the advantages of improving the school grounds, as does also 

 the section on trees. Could not some of the pupils, working together, 

 make a map of the school grounds, showing location of buildings, 

 fences, trees, shrubs, etc. ? Let other pupils copy this. Then let each, 

 after a few days, hand in his or her map, indicating on it where a hedge 

 or screen of vines should be located and where trees and shrubs ought 

 to be planted. Tell them to keep these maps. After they have studied 

 the sections on trees let them write on the maps the kinds of trees that 

 they would choose for any spot needing trees. 



