94 STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



building. Under the wise management of the Pomological Society 

 we trust cider-mills will not be a necessity. 



So much depends upon the tastes acquired in the formative 

 period of life, it should be the purpose of our educational system to 

 strengthen the natural taste in all that is pure and elevating and to 

 cultivate a true love for symmetry, proportion and beauty. 



On the taste of the individual, depend the habits, and from the 

 habits develops the character. The mission of the true educator is 

 to unfold the crumpled tissue of the child mind and so impress it 

 with things pure and beautiful that there shall be no room forsensu- 

 alityi intemperance and other vices. Moral elevation must result 

 from familiarity wiili beauty in nature and art. 



The time seems ripe in our State for some aggressive movement 

 in the line of rural decorations. The coming year marks a great 

 change in the ownership of school property. The old district sys- 

 tem is to be superseded by the town. It would seem a very 

 proper time to consider the improvement and the ornamentation of our 

 rural sclioolhouses. The movement should be an educational one. 

 Some general purpose, something in which all our interests center, 

 something that shall touch us all, something that shall make every 

 spot set apart for the education of the children of the State a 

 delight and a joy, is of more importance to us as a people than 

 tariff reform, demonetization of silver, or the annexation of the 

 Hawaiian Islands. It is necessary that the movement be general, 

 one that shall extend to every little schoolhouse of the State. The 

 cities and larger villages, with commendable pride, are building for 

 school purposes structures that are models of convenience and 

 architectural beauty. These, with their well-kept lawns and ample 

 playgrounds, are among the most ornamental buildings, wherever 

 reared. 



This work is foreshadowed in the movement recently made, to 

 place our national flag upon every schoolhouse of the land. Beside 

 unifying us as a people it has inspired every child with a new and 

 fervid love of native land before unknown. No district so small 

 or poor that has not hung out its flag when its patriotism was 

 stirred. 



The tendency of our educational system as a State should be, to 

 inspire every child with a love of our own dear Maine, as the freest, 

 purest, most beautiful spot of all the earth." Blended with the love 

 of our national flag should be the love and pride in our State 



