The Hot Springs star. (Hot Spings [Hot Springs], Dakota [Dakota Territory, i.e. S.D.]) 1886-189?, 1890-05-09
PRETTY SCHOOL GROUNDS
4 Constant OBJECT LsseeA ~ tAs Eyeo q
Every bay - Girl.

pSrlOO OF UI0 tue lQUu00C0 Oh t0O80 sur
%fcundings must In the aggregate be consid-
cradle, concludes Garden and Forest. A
and tidy room, with simple and cheer.
full DECORATIONS, win be . constant object
lesson to every eye. A room with decrepit
furniture upon IN unclean floor, and with
walls and ceiling broken and stained, will
teach Its lesson, too, In taste and morals,
but it will be quite . different one. It ID
due to the health of children that they bd
supplied with abundant light aud air. This
means detached building with ample open
space about 1t, even in the city. Exercise
is also essential to the healthy development,
as well as to the happiness Of children, and
play is the natural and spontaneous exefa
else and refreshment for both their minds
and bodies. A playgroind may, therefore.
be considered q necessary adjunct to every
school. Children will play wherever they
have room, but it will hardly be argued
that q bare space Of earth, which will be
dusty or muddy as the weather changes,
offers every advantage that children should
be able to derive from their school-grounds.
II the school-room Gun be madc to give les
sons in cleanliness and order and taste the
surroundings OF the building should be ar
ranged to enforce the same lessons.
That properly ordered school-grounds can
aid In this direction, and, besides this, be
made al important educational auxiliary In
some branches Of natural science, was the
thesis of an interesting paper read before
the Massachusetts Horticultural Society by
Mr.. Levcrett N. Chase, master of the Dud.
ley School, in Roxbury. Mr.. Chase argued
that the ideal sc%hool-ground should be
separated into two distinct portions
one devoted to the purposes Of an outdoor
gymnasium, and the other an area of green
sward, properly planted with trees, shrubs,
vines-in short, o plcasurc-garden for the
children. They should be taught that the
garden is theirs, and q feeling Of RESPONSE
bility for 1T should be encouraged. That
this sense Of ownership will engender such
a pcrsgual interest that the exuberant de-
s~tructiveness, SO often manifested by school,
boys, will give place to o sentiment of afec-
ton, and q desire to protect their shrubs
md flowers, O been proved In many in
stances. II the plants are all carefully Ia
bcled and catalogues. if the children are
invited to aid in cultivating them, under
proper direction, they will gum much prac-
tical information as to the laws Of plant
growth, and il q serious attempt at SYSTEM
attic instruction in certain branches OF bot
any is connected with the care of the
grounds, many lessons which 1t would be
an irksome task to acquire otherwise will
be learned without effort, and even with
positive delight. From the knowledge thus
gained, and the interest aroused in
the school-garden, we may reasonably
look for q growing love Of hat
ure-an increasing appreciation Of tho
beauty Of trees and their value. II this gem
Grafton Of children were reared under such
influences ours would be a land Of fair gar
dens in a quarter Of q century, and there
would be no difficulty in securing proper
Legislation for the preservation Of our for
ests. Indeed. it is to be feared that q dis
tinctivcly American forest-policy which
shall embrace in its scope the wisest ad-
ministration of the Nations forests, and the
most intelligence care of the farmers wood
lot, will never be adopted until the interest
and sympathy Of the children IRE enlisted,
so that they will grow up with sound views
ana generous seuIlmentsa as to the import
ancc of trees and forests as an element Of
the National welfare.
Or course grounds sufficiently spacious
for o garden can not now be found connect
cd with every s-chool-building, and in
crowded cities large school-gardens will not
be practicable. But there is room for o be-
ginning everywhere. A narrow border
along the foundation Of the school-housc
raay be made beautiful with flowers from
sAS VAAO VNSAA GSHHO6I uullk
frost kills the latest aster. There are few
school-yards where 6. place can not be found
for some tree or shrub, or where q vine can
not be trained so as to show its own beauty
and hide some unsightly object. At ali!
events, some house-plants can be used
to brighten up the school-room and
to illustrate by living examples the
elementary facts in botany and horticulture.
One disadvantage will be that Of the teach
ers and trustees who must take the lead in
this enterprise know 30 little themselves of
the subjects in which it Is proposed to in
tcrest the children. The beginnings of this
rcform-for q genuine reform 1t will be-
will be feeble, and much honest effort will
be INSTRUCTED. Unsuitable trees and
shrubs will often be selected and they will
be badly planted in improper places. But
the very fact that the lack Of knowledge on
these points is so lamcntable is the strong
est reason that q beginning should be made.
The attempt will excite inquiry and criti-
cism, and knowledge will come from the
study and discussion thus aroused. Fortu.
nate are those places already provided with
teachers like Mr.. Chase, and Mr.. Endicott.
master of the Gibson School in Dorchester.
who, at the meeting above mentioned.
added some valuable testimony to the sound.
ness Of the positions taken In Mr.. Clkase's
paper.
A final suggestion made by MI. Chase IL
worth considering in other States as wei as
IN Massachusetts. It was that prizes be
offered for the best-kept and most tastefully
embelllshcd school.grounds.