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POPULAR GARDENING. 



December, 



School Yard Horticulture. 



"WARREN BrANNINO, READING. MASS. 



With a view to permanently satisfactory 

 results, a plan should, anaong the first things, 

 be devised for the school lot Varying as 

 school lots do in soil, suri'oundings, etc., care 

 must be used in selecting the trees and 

 shrubs, with reference to their size at matur- 

 ity, the soil, and situation. Were a com- 

 petent person to be employed to attend to 

 these points, the expense would be more 

 than offset by the more satisfactory re.sults 

 and the economy that would come from 

 having system in the work. 



Often the teacher alone will be able to 

 devise and carry out the improvements. 

 Even if there is town aid, much will depend 

 on the teachers for successfully doing the 

 work proposed, especially if the scholars 

 are to have a personal interest in it, as they 

 certainly should have. By all means, lead 

 the children to be governed by the pride 

 and respect they may have for the 

 results of their own work, prop- 

 erly directed. 



Arbor Day is established in 

 many of our States as a public 

 holiday, and in this day, above all 

 others, the children should take 

 part, that they may more fully 

 appreciate tree planting. 



Among the things to be aimed 

 at should be ample shade, fresh, 

 green grass, and flowers in abund- 

 ance, and good-sized play spaces. 

 We should employ those kinds of 

 flowering plants that will be of 

 greatest value in the education of 

 the children, and among such we 

 know of few that are more desir- 

 able than the native species of 

 our woods and clearings. 



The grounds must not be so very 

 nice that a good deal of careless 

 play would do them conspicuous 

 injury. Plants and trees should 

 not be employed that will require 

 the care of a skilled gardener,while 

 weedy plants must also be avoided. 



In the matter of trees, it will 

 usually take but a few of our lar- 

 ger growing kinds like the Elm, 

 Maple, Pine, and Spruce to supply 

 the need in this direction. The deciduous 

 trees may be used along the roadsides, but 

 to plant in the small school yard, few, if 

 any, would be desirable. There are many 

 small growing trees and shrubs that are 

 just the thing for placing throughovit the 

 grounds in masses. With a good selec- 

 tion of such shrubs, a few vigorous, hardy 

 herbaceous plants among them, and a flower 

 bed if desired for the finer hardy perennials 

 and annuals, a sufficient variety should be 

 secured. If as complete a representation of 

 the native flora would be secured as practic- 

 able, it would be of great help in the study 

 of botany. Each plant and tree in the 

 school culture should be carefully labelled 

 not only with the common name but with 

 the botanical one as well, and the natural 

 order should be given. 



Whenever a plan is made, regard should 

 be had for the present features of the 

 ground, and for surrounding scenery, and 

 the planting should be made to harmonize 

 with it as far as practicable; a rough tree 

 may form the center of group; the trunk 

 of a noble .shade tree may be brought out in 

 relief against a backing of smaller trees and 

 shrubs. Climbers will make a rude stone 

 wall or ledge a mass of foliage, or a plain 

 board fence can be covered with their grace- 

 ful wreaths; and even the bare walls ot the 

 school house can be made ornamental with 

 a dress of vines. 



The most available side of the yard should 

 be reserved for a play ground. A few trees 

 could be placed on the outskirts in groups 



or irregular lines, connecting with a broken 

 belt of trees and shrubs at the comer and 

 along the back; screening (with evergreens) 

 the outhouses from view. 



Th9 other side of the grounds should be 

 devoted more to the ornamental. The 

 groups, arranged with the larger growing 

 kinds in the center, should be so disposed 

 as to hide unpleasant views, with openings 

 where the outlook is agreeable. Arrange 

 the shrubs along the wall among and in 

 front of the trees, with the herbaceous 

 plants among them. The greatest care 

 should be taken, however, not to plant too 

 close; a well-grown tree is much better than 

 many, crowded. The smaller growing trees 

 will not require much room, and low grow- 

 ing shrubs can be filled in about them; the 

 outline should be irregular, and future 

 planting should be rather at the projections 

 of the grounds than in the recesses formed 

 by previous planting. 



with the finer herbaceous perennials, tender 

 plants, and annuals. 



The large tree, as well as a few smaller 

 ones to protect the front of the building, 

 without excluding light and air, is not out 

 of place, and a collection of low growing 

 shrubs, directly under the windows on the 

 ornamental side, would be very pleasing. 









EMBELLISHING THE SCHOOL YARD BY TREE AND FLOWER PLANTING, 



Allow grass to grow where it will, but do 

 not try to have an absolutely level lawn as a 

 few irregularities would make it more in 

 keeping with the nature of the place; it 

 should, however, be kept well cut and all 

 parts scrupulously neat. Walks with cut 

 edges would be impracticable where there 

 are so many thoughtless, hurrying feet, but 

 there should be good gravel paths on the 

 lines of greatest travel. 



These suggestions are made more espec- 

 ially with reference to the small school 

 yards, scattered all over the country, but 

 they will also apply with equal force to more 

 extensive grounds. 



The accompanying plan may be sugges- 

 tive, for no plan would fit every lot. 



The trees at the street should rarely be 

 planted less than 30 feet apart, and such 

 trees as the White Elm, in favorable soil, .50 

 feet. But for an immediate effect, rapid 

 growing kinds can be placed between, to be 

 removed when they begin to crowd the 

 permanent trees. 



At the back are shown some evergreen 

 trees for a center, and lower growing kinds 

 in the foreground to make a pleasing group 

 and complete screen; stronger growing 

 kinds on the boys' side, the more choice ones 

 on the more ornamental side. 



The groups to the outside of the orna- 

 mental ground could embrace a larger 

 variety, with trees, shrubs, and occasional 

 clumps of strong grooving herbaceous plants. 

 The flower bed should be away from the 

 roots of the larger trees, and may be filled 



General Hints on Window Plant 

 Culture. 



DANIEL K. HERR, LANCASTER CO., PA. 



The first requisite to success is to cherish 

 a love for plants, so their needs are met with 

 pleasure. Appearance as to fine shelves, 

 pots, and other fixtures should be secondary, 

 beauty of fine healthy plants first. 



As plants in living rooms do not have the 

 moist air and dew of summer nights, let the 

 pots stand on a layer of Spagnum or cotton 

 or even a good thickness of papers, to retain 

 the water from the necessary 

 spraying that by its evaporation, 

 moisture is given to the air among 

 the plants. The spraying should 

 be done every morning or two. 

 Use the rubber bulb sprayer, or 

 have a tin can made to hold a 

 quart or two, and with very small 

 holes in the rose. Plants of vigor- 

 ous growth are not soon over- 

 watered , but slow growers,or those 

 newly planted must be kept mere- 

 ly moist, or the soil will sour. 



The soil for potting should be 

 put in preparation twelve months 

 before it is needed. Take good 

 friable garden mold, or sod, and 

 to each birshel add one half bushel 

 of best stable manure, and one 

 quarter bushel river sand. Work 

 this over two or three times dur- 

 ing the year, then pulverize it fine 

 ^for use. If the ingredients are 

 not convenient at hand, as is often 

 the case with window gardeners 

 in town, then buy potting soil 

 from your nearest florist. 



The pots should be heayy, or 



else covered outside with paint, or 



better with some cloth or paper, 



to keep the roots in moistures 



that distribute themselves around the inner 



surface of the pots. For this reason, wooden 



pots or boxes are best of all. Stir the soil 



frequently over the surface, or mulch with 



Spagnum. or other moss, pulverized, and if 



plants show any loss of vigor, mix with the 



,mulch a tablespoonful or two of fine bone 



meal according to size of plant. This will 



save repotting for a while, but the latter 



must not be deferred when the pots become 



filled with roots. 



The hardiest plants should be set nearest 

 the glass, as the air is somewhat cooler; all 

 must have plenty of room and light; rather 

 than crowd, some maybe wintered in a cool 

 room, watered sparingly to keep almost 

 dormant. Low growing plants that will do 

 in partial shade may go under the taller to 

 fill up and help to hide the mulch on the 

 shelf or stand. 



Ventilation should be admitted to window 

 plants from above in a thin stream, or by 

 some way that no cold blast will strike the 

 plants, as they will "catch cold" quicker 

 than we do, and every ill befall them. 



If aphis, or plant lice, appear, fight them 

 with persistence until thoroughly cleared. 

 Use a stiff feather dipped in insect powder, 

 and brush them off daily, or in a suitable 

 place wash them off with soapy water. 



When all is provided and fixed, to give 

 the plants congenial conditions to thrive, 

 and greet us with bloom and fragrance, 

 and beauty of leaf, our care must not cease, 

 they must be given a weekly cleaning, and 

 scrupulous care to meet all needs. 





