New-York tribune., 1902-04-27

ARBOR DAY OBSERVANCE
THE WORK OF BEAUTIFYING TIN
SCHOOL GROUNDS OF THIS STATE
SUPERINTENDENT SKINNERS
PERSONAL EXPERIENCES


State superintendent Charles r Skinner, be-
ing asked last week to give his views concern
in, the movement instituted by him to beautlfy
the school grounds of the State, with incidents
which have come to his personal knowledge, re-
sponded follows
"Arbor Day has been in operation in this State
since 1889. In the course of that time 246,oo9
trees have been planted upon school grounds. OF
course many Of these trees have perished
through neglect but many others have grown
and dourished-
THE primary purpose of Arbor Day is to in
terest our school children in birds, flowers
plants and trees In this way the children have
learned 70 love nature and TO observe its work
In the past fourteen years the condition OF the
school grounds OF the State has been wonder
fully improved. However. while much has been
done. much more remains to be done before our
echooIhouses and grounds VIII show satisfac-
tory evidences OF care and interest
In hundreds OF Journeys I have visited every
county in the State. some counties many times
have been impressed with the unsight!y' ap-
pearance of thousands of our schoolhouses and
grounds, especially in the rural districts Those
who are unfamiliar with existing conditions can
have no adequate idea of the unWnolesone at
rnosphere in which hundreds of thousands Of
our children pursuing their education Ihe
school grounds are too small The schooihouses
too frequently are poorly built without definite
plan and are placed squarely on the roadways
The children's Fairgrounds are the highways
Cattle. horses. pigs and sheep roam freely ana
fes -lessIy through the grounds, with no fences
to keep them back In hundreds OF cases there
is not i shade tree in sight OF the school build
ing which has the appearance OF a ragged beg
gar loose papers and ash heaps abound, the
paint has disappeared from the buildings, The
boards and shingles are loose and the lneer4o.
is a picture of uucleanliness and disorder
L am convinced that there should be no
set dollhouse site in the country containing less
than one acre of land. The school grounds
should be surrounded by a neat fence IN order
that Fairgrounds may be provided where the
children will not be interfered with facilities
for games should be furnished and order and
neatnes5 encouraged in everything connected
with school life.
The value of schoolhouseS and sites IN New
York State last year was SS1-92toO The VaIue
of the schoolhuuses and sites in the rural dis
trcts was $1G916OOO. These figures show
gratifying increase over the previous year. Let
me tell YOU how the value Of Schoolhouses in the
rural districts be increased $I,oooOco OF
s. OOOO0O without the expenditure OF doIiar-
The outlay Of u little well directed labor, gooo
Judgment and common sense will render schooi
surroundings more inviting. and the value OF the
school property will be Increased n just the
proportion that it IS beautihed a well kept
farm is more valuable than which IS
neglected. If teachers and pupils and parents
will give this matter attention. the value OF
their school possessions will so on increasing
Il cannot understand why attention to the
care of school grounds has been so long neglect
Continued page thirteen.