The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1897-02-04
PRerrY soHooL aRouNps.



Every BOY ind Girl.
For several months in the year a large
proportion OF the children Of this country
spendat ieas. half of the hours of daylight,
for five days i the week, ii or about the
school-hoUse At the most susceptible
period OF life the influence OF these sur
roundings must in the aggregate le ronsld
cradle, concludes Garden and Forest. A
neat and tidy room, with simple and cheer
ful decorations, will be constant object
lesson to every eve, A room with decrcpit
furniture upon an uncean floor, aud with
walls and ceiling broken aud stained, will
teach Its lesson, TOO, in taste and morals,
but II will be cutie different one, 1t Is
due to the health of children that they be
supplied with abundant light and air This
means detached building with ample open
space about 1t, even in tho city. Exercise
is also essential To the healthy Development,
as well as 10 the happiness Of children, and
play is the natural mud spontaneous exer,
else and reffcSaa.eu, for both heir minds
and bodies. Apiaygrouna may, therefore,
be considered 4 necessary adjunct to every
school. Children will play wherever they
have room, but it will hafdly be argued
that bare space Of earth, which will be
dusty or muddy as the weather changes,
offers eves'y adva.. age thai cli,tlfau should
be able tc derive from their sGhOIigrounds
II the schools ROOM eau be made to give les
sons in cleanliness and order and taste the
surroundings Of the building should be ar,
ranged to enforce the same lessons
-. : a. ~
aid in tins direction, and, besides this, be
made an important educational auxiliary in
some branches Of natural science. was the
thesis of an interesting plget tcad before
the Massachusetts horticultural Society BY
MIR, Leverett NJ Chase, master Of the Dud
ley School, in RoI1ury. Mr.IAase argued
that the ideal school-ground should be
separated into two distinct portions -
one devoted to the purposes Of an outdoor
gymnasium, and ihe other an area OF green
sward, properly planted with trees, shrubs,
vines-in short, pleasure -gagten for the
children. They should be taught that the
garden is theirs, and a feeling Of response
bllity for it should be encouraged. That
this sense of ownership will eugender such
a apers0nal interest that the exuh0rant de
structiveness, sooften manifested by school
boys, will give place to a seutimentu of affec
ton, and desire TO profoG. their shrub
and flowers, has been proved III many In
stances, If the plants are all carefully la
Deled and catalogued; if the children are
invited to aid in cultiyating them, under
proper direction, they will gain much prac
teal information as to the laws Of plant
growth, and If serious attempt at system
attic instruction Id certain branches Of bot
any is connected with the care of the
grounds, many lessons which ii would be
an irksOme task to acquire otherwise vii
be learned without effort, and even witt
positive delight. From the knowledge thus
gained, and the interest aroused in
the school-garden, we may reasonably
look for a growing love OF nat
ure-an increasing appreciation of th.
beauty OF trees and their value, If this gen
GRAFTON Of children were reared under such
influences ours would be a land OF fair gar
lens IN quarter of a 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 a dis
tinctiYely American forestpolicy which
shall embrace in its scope the wisest ad.
ministration oftae Nations forests, and the
most intelligenLeare OF the farmers wood.
lot, will never be adopted until the interest
md sympathy of the children are enlisted,
so tnat tney Will grow up with sUuna views
and generous sentiments as TO the import
auce Of trees and forests as an element Of
the Nationalwellare.
OF course grounds sufficiently spacious
for garden can not now be found connect
ed with every sch0Ol-building, and in
crowded cities large school gardens will not
be practicable. But there is room for be-
ginning everywhere. A narrow border
along the foundation Of the scho0khouse
may be MADE beautiful with flowers from
the time when snowdrops appear until
frost kills the latest aster. There are few
school-yards where q place cannot be found
for some tree or shrub, or where vine can
not De trained so as to show its own beauty
and hide some unsightly object At all
events, some house-plants can be used
to brighten up the school-ro0m and
to Illustrate by living examples the
elementary facts IN botany and horticulture.
Dne disadvantage will be that Of the teach
ars and trustees who must take the lead in
his enterprise know so little themselves Of
Inc subjects in which it is proposed to in
crest the children. The beginnings Of this
genuine reform ii will be-
viii be feeble, and much honest effort viii
Je misdirected Unsuitable trees and
,hrubs will often be selected and they will
Dc badly planted in improper places. But
he very fact that the lack Of knowledge on
hese points is so iamentable is the strong
st reason that beginning should be made.
The attempt will excite inquiry and criti-
ism, and knowledge will come from the
tudy and discussion thus aroused Fortu-
late are those places already provided with
eachers like Mr.. Chase, and Mr. Eadleott.
MASTER Of the Gibson School in Dorchester.
Who, at the meeting above mentioned,
dded some valuable testimony to the sound.
ess of the positions taken in Mr.. Chase,s
aper.
a final suggestion made oy Mr.. Chase is
7orth considering in other States as well as
d Massachusetts. 1t was that prizes be
ffered for the best-k Kept and most tastefully
mbellshed schooi-grounds. {
t1-U ,