OUR RURAL SCHOOL GROUNDS. 



Fig. 1564. — A suggestion for a simple school house. 



on the child. The railroad corporation 

 likes to build good-looking station- 

 houses, although they have no greater 

 capacity than homely ones. I asked an 

 architect for a simple plan of a cheap 

 schoolhouse. He gave me Fig. 1564. 



The first thing to do after the school 

 building itself is completed, is to pre^ 

 pare a plan of the grounds. For this it 

 might be well to consult a landscape' 

 architect, who would give an outline - 

 ground plan, showing where trees, 

 shrubs and plants may be planted after 

 the correct principles of landscape art. 

 Or if any one in the neighborhood has 

 enough taste to do so, let him draw a 

 rough plan first, before the first planting 

 is attempted. A. good model for a 

 small school yard (Fig. 1565) situated at 

 four corners, is given by Prof. Bailey, in 

 which these principles are observed, as 

 for example (1) an open lawn through 

 the centre ; (2) the grouping of trees 

 and shrubs about the borders, and to 

 hide objectionable features ; (3) Laying 



out walks or drives by gentle curves be- 

 tween fixed points, etc." 



We close this article with a few further 

 extracts. 



Making the sod. — The only outlay of 

 money required for the entire improve- 

 ment is for grass seed. The best lawn 

 grass for New York is June-grass or 

 blue-grass. Seedsmen know it as Poa 



Fig. 1565. — Suggestions for the planting 

 of a school yard on four corners. 



125 



