Arizona weekly citizen., 1883-06-09
Ornamenting school Ground..


 The appearance of the ground sbo,t schoolhouses and of the sides of ,bs roads in the vicinity of them Is seldom attractive. In one of the sweetest of Whittier's poems their condition Is thrs portrayed:
 Still sits the sehool-house by the road
 A ragged beelyar summing
 Around it still the sumscs gruw.
 And blackberry-vines are running
 Many of the country hOol-houses in the west are highly creditable to ,bs taste and enterprise of the persons who erected them. The architecture of linen, is good, while they are commOdious and well furnished. The grounds abor. them, however, are IL @ most miserabIe and unsightly condition. There are Do walks except those made by the feet of children through the native sod. Tba,s is an absence of even such flowers q- grow wild on the adjoining prairies. As a rule there are no shrubs, vines. ar4 trees. If there are any uf the la,tar they are most likely ro be Lombsdv pOplRrs or willows. These are n4ve- pruned except by boys who desire to procure branches from them. The grounds about scGOOl-hOUSes ID vilIsra. and cities are rarely m any better con dItIon. They are generally well fenced but are devoid of ornamentatlou. In this respect they are in strange contrast with the grounds about churches spj private residences. The soil is geusr.IIy quite bare, but k sometimes covfrai with ashes or coal cinders. The va-is are even less inviting than those abogt prisons and factories. They serve to ay- plain why so many little feet ason,s creeping slow tO school
 It appears to be the opinion ot many that the pupils of public schools womb destroy the flowers, shrnbs, and orus- mental plants planted in or about grounds belonging to the schoOl-housas Such an opinion was generally enter. taIned at one time in respect to fine finishing and furniture of sch0Ol-hou,ss Experience shows, however, that h. better the school buildings are tinislaf and furnished the less they are iujur.i Trees, 4hrubs, vines, and flowers sr- wanted About schOOl-hOuses for varlons reasons. They are esired fOrOrnamept for the purpose of making childrs8 acquainted with their correct names and habits, and for teaching them how .o take proper care of them. The teachers directors, and persons in charge ut the grounds can interest and instruct many young persons in the proper way to set out and prune trees by lessons given i1 the school yard. Among western children, and especially those living h towns, there Is great ignorance ID regard to the names of common trees. Com. paEatively few of the pupils who have passed through all the grades ot the public schools in this city can correctly name half the varieties of trees that grow in any of the public parks. In this respect their education does uot favorably compare with that obtained where 6 much less costly system Is sup ported. The grounds of many colleges and seninaries are very finely planted. often by students. The grounds at tached to the Sronto normal schoo. afford good example of the Use tha. can be made of trees for the purpose ot giving instruction tO pupils. Every variety of tree that will flourish in Canada is growing there. Near to each K tablet, on which are marked the common and scientific name of the tree and location from which 1t was taken In the building Is a fine collection of woods, SO arranged as to show the color and grain of each.