IMPROVEMENT OF GROUNDS 69 



the child is able to reason on the subject. An attrac- 

 tive playground will do more than a profitable wheat 

 crop to keep the child on the farm. 



Begin with the. Fundamentals, not with the Details 

 If an artist is to make a portrait, he first draws a 

 few bold strokes, representing the general outline. 

 He "blocks out" the picture. With the general 

 plan well in mind, he gradually works in the inciden- 

 tals and the details the nose, eyes, beard. 



Most persons reverse this natural order when they 

 plant their grounds. They first ask about the kind 

 of roses, the soil for snowballs, how far apart holly- 

 hocks shall be planted. It is as if the artist first 

 asked about the color of the eyes and the fashion 

 of the necktie; or as if the architect first chose the 

 color or paint and then planned his building. The 

 result of this type of planting is that there is no plan, 

 and the yard means nothing when it is done. Begin 

 with the plan, not with the plants. 



The Place should mean something The home 

 ground should be homelike, retired, and cozy. The 

 school ground should be set off from the bare fields, 

 and should be open enough to allow of playgrounds. 

 It should be hollow well planted on the side, 

 open in the interior. The side next the highway 

 should contain little planting. The place should be 

 a picture, not a mere collection of trees and bushes. 



Keep the Center of the Place Open Do not 

 scatter the trees over the place. They will be in 



