10 
PRACTICUMS AND PROJECTS. 
School practicums. — A great deal of practice along the line of work suggested 
may be given according to the time available and according to local needs 
and conditions. As a rule, it will not be difficult to secure practice in planting, 
pruning, and spraying either at the school or at homes conveniently near. 
Home practicums. — If there is opportunity for the students to continue their 
practice at home and increase their skill and apply what they have been learn- 
ing, credit should be given this work as home practicums. If individual plans 
are not a prominent part of the school work, planning problems should be 
assigned students where there is a possibility of putting all or a part of the 
improvement plans into operation. 
School projects. — The planning and planting of the school grounds 1 furnishes 
an excellent project for the whole class or such part of the class as have no 
home project along this line. In a few schools where the school grounds have 
been planted the class has undertaken the planting and care of street trees 
and park areas in the community. If any of this work is to be of an elaborate 
nature, it will be well to submit all plans to a competent landscape expert 
before they are carried out. 
Home projects. — Each student should as far as possible carry out some 
definite plan of home-grounds improvement. Such projects may vary from the 
planting of a few trees or shrubs, the starting of a hedge or a lawn, to a com- 
plete reconstruction or initial planting of the whole homestead. The following 
outline should be suggestive of a study outline which could be adapted to 
whatever sort of project the student may take up. Plans drawn accurately to 
scale and a complete record of the work done : with an account of all expendi- 
tures, should be required of each student. 
FARM HOME PROJECT STUDY OUTLINE. 
ORNAMENTATION OF HOME GROUNDS — AN IMPROVEMENT PROJECT. 
I. Shall I undertake the improvement of our home grounds as a project? 
1. What improvement can I make? 
2. Does the improvement involve a knowledge of landscape art? 
3. Have I a knowledge of art and horticulture as a foundation for such 
an undertaking? 
4. Do I have a liking for such work? 
II. What existing factors must I consider in the plan of my work? 
1. To what extent may I modify present conditions? 
2. How much time and money will I have to spend? 
3. How large is the area to be included? 
4. What features of this climate must I consider? 
5. What bearing will the kind of soil have upon my plans? 
6. What about the water supply and drainage? 
7. Why will it be necessary to consider the exposure? 
8. What are the peculiarities of the site which I must take into con- 
sideration? 
9. To what extent must I consider the architecture of the house and 
other buildings? 
10. To what extent will I be free to use my own judgment in making 
my plans and in carrying them out? 
*See Farmers' Bulletin 134, Tree Planting on Rural School Grounds. 
