The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1904-05-21

AoiCioly SeH1lnQeQ Dy the numerous
notices Of commencement exercises,
n the dainty invitation Clearing so
proudly the card of some lear young
friend for whom commencement"
Is to open the door of Life) that the
bright spring time is flying fast and
the summer, with its long, hot days is
almost here. This fact admonishes
me to hasten, If | would get in a few
words more about the Improvement
Of our school grounds before 1t Is too
late.
In many counties, where, alas, the
too short term prevails, the rural
schools have already closed and for
them this letter is too late. But there
are many which have yet at least four
splendid working weeks before them,
and if only a small percentage of these
will get TO work at once, | shall be
satisfied, since most great movements
are of slow growth, and this is worth
waiting for a little longer, wen.
We have been greatly cheered and
encouraged by the letters of approval
and of inquiry which have found their
way to our department, and from
them. are led to believe that another
year will see a revolution in outdoor
education and a transformation in the
school buildings and yards all over the
State. The time has long since gone
by when people thought that all OF a
child's education was shut within the
dull and narrow lids of books. We
know now that one may know all that
is shut up in books and still miss
many of the sweetest and best of life's
ATA,- + xL0 x-frn-f EnnnhnV
among us all, and when she has taught
her pupils the beauty and the use OF
the things that grow about us-has
made us understand the power that
lies in a lovely flower or tree or vine,
and which may influence ones char
acter for good, then. indeed, has our
real knowledge begun.
1t is with the hope Of encouraging
our children to study Nature more
lovingly than many of them now do,
that | revert to the subject OF improv-
ing our school houses n grounds.
Some years ago, in New York Ga
State, by the way, which acknowl-
edges In material manner its heavy
debt of obligation to the teachers and
children who, in the splendid per-
Torrance of this work. have added
wonderfully to the beauty OF the State
and has increased its wealth beyond
estimate) the demand became so great
for plans of work for the guidance OF
the schools, that the great univer-
sites and colleges, in their Ma
ture Study departments, too the mat
ter up Int worked up many excellent
plans. After going over these, 1t
strikes me that Cornell new better
what vas needed han did any of the
others, and | shall take some Of Their
SUGGESTIONS to brighten up my W
ideas on the subject. Our desire is
to so arouse each child and teacher
who has to sit within the four bare
walls of our average school house,
that work will begin at once to change
what is often the dreariest spot in the
country side into a place SO attractive
as to be the pride of the neighbor-
hood, and worthy to linger, a bright
and beautiful picture, in the memory
Of each child.
First, we must make a plan, and to
do this, we must try to imagine just
how the spot will look when when
Mother Nature and Father Time,
with their varied and varying Off
spring, have done their work. Every
body can help us, and the more help
ers we have now, the more admirers
will We have later on. For people
are very prone to think well of that
which they have helped to do.
1t will he an unusually interesting
lesson in drawing, il you will some
day put the children at the work OF
drawing plans of the school grounds
(as they exist, then let their magma
tons run riot among ideas about i'm
proving the spot. Of course, the plan
to teach the greatest possible
amount-should be drawn by scale,
and the children should talk over the
various Improvements which occur to
them.
The first necessity is, of course, a
fence to protect the yard, ven though
1t be nothing better than the omni-
present Bob Wire" Gas an old darby
friend of mine calls it,. The parents,
by combining, could easily give enough
of their own stock to fence the school
yard, If no better protection can be
secured. We will consider u plan
as If it were a picture and the fence,
with tall shrubs just inside, and fol-
having all around 1t, must be the
frame. Of course, we do not want a
prim and even frame, as that would
spoil the natural look, but or the north
side say (unless the house faces
north, plant as a wind break, some
of our beautiful, qu~ick-growing forest
trees, then, all along transplant such
splendid trees, or shrubs, as u love-
ly dog wood, the big, ~cool-leaved
"cowcumber," clumps of brilliant
sumac, Towering huckleberry and
many others which beautify the wood
land all about you. From some of the
old country homes ear by beg the
old-time Towering ounce, OIL Towering
peach-lilacs, cape jessamines and lily
bulbs, from which tall stalks will
spring, throughout the blooming time,
like incense cups on slender swaying
stems. Just go to some old-time
gardener, or flower lover, and see il
you do not come away laden with all
the plants land much more advice)
than you cal conveniently carry.
With the children's help put these
out in the bed, which must be ready
and waiting before you take up the
plants. The next thing is to supply,
it were, the beading, which makes