The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-04-23

MCCNAUGHY.
 
 cool shades and bright ncwers welcom- ing all. Naturally this park. as tho
 school home, should hs the individual property of the children, superinteT ded only by the elders. There are r,any ways to secure the children's interests in this
 flower garden. Allow thG individuality
 of their own tastes, lea tng up to har-
 rnony of color by timely suggestions. It Is well sometimes tu ilaye certain be1s for certain classes. What more b. aIti- ful contest in gorgeousncss of cOloring and beauty of effect than that between an early pansy and nasturtium bed? The teacher must keep in illad two points
 in the making of school garden, VIZ, beauty and educational value. she will
 have no seed planted until the stil Is properly prepared, ani tntl the light seasos Give the chillran an impnrt;nt lesson on soil values, on the care and propagation of seeds and plants, impress ing upon them that certain plants look best in certain places. For instance, you do not want sunfowers in the center of your pansy bed. If funds seem short this
 need not discourage the teacher God
 has too beautifully blessed our woods. With only little effort she have
 her children happy in the possession of bed of Alabama wild flowers. The wild honeysuclxle is an early conner and It's delicate pink blossoms in contrast with the purple wild vioets are fit for queens gardens. The Sweet William and cala- canthus are abundant, the wild lilies. the ferns twenty-seven different varieties; the heart leaves, the daisies, blue-eyed and brown. Everywhere is beauty enough to fill your garden. Even when I had the other flowers l would give this bed of wild flowers prominent place. Let the | children know and appreciate their native l woodland friends. If you haven't local I stock law you want to fence your school yard. A cheap fence may be built which when covered with vines is useful and ornamental The Cherokee rose, which neglects no spot in the state. makes l handsome hedge If properly pruned. Your garden planted, keep your children in- I terested and posted as to the coming of | the flowers. Have your boys employ their knives in making white wood markers to | locate all the plants. When your garden | flowers do not here neglect to cultivate I the taste of the child. Have him know | that when he gathers a bouquet for 1 teachers desk that the long stems are more artistic than the short and that | the harmony of color and arrangement
 have much to do with teachers pleas
 ure Make a point to dwell on this. for | by gathering and placing SO much boan- | ty of the fowtls Is lJst. Do not sllow
 him to bring you the wild iassamine and honeysuckle in the same hand; con:bina-
 ton lacks harmony. Show him the beau- ] ty of the yellow jassamilc ns tt glears l through green fern leaves. Do not lose l sight of the seed time hf your garden. | Have the children gather and s.ssrrt the
 seed with care, ready for ,he nc xt spring | planting.
 The Play Ground.
 1 After the flower garden or park, your attention should be directed to the play l Il. klxt. ..4t l dangerous elevations and Impressions l The play ground Is an important educa- l tional factor. It is here that the child | Is himself, bringing into activity all the 1 unused parts of the body. The play 1 ground is to the child's school life what
 the kitchen is to the home-it feedss him | and should be properly looked after.
 Your next step should be the planting
 oi a vegetable garden. Although you do l not care to have this particularly on a | large scale, our agricultural schools fill.
 ing such demand. yet the vegetable gar | den can be made of money value to you. | It gives to your boy an industrial knowl-
 edge of plants as well as impressing upon
 him the intimate dependence of man upon
 the vegetable kingdom. It causes an ear | 1y love for the value of the farm which
 we, as southern teachers, want to im- plant
 And now as to the most important | .O
 new school house. Let me suggest that you keep attractive and clean the little house you are now in until you are re ady l to build for time and eternity. Put your foot down on the building of more un- gainly, unhygienic school houses in Ala
 hama. When you build, bljld something beautiful in point of architecture It is
 for the glory of God and the education
 of your children. Have first-class arch-
 itect to draw your plans; let the chill
 dren feel that it is your desire to have
 them daily come in contact with the ar
 tistic. and the pride they have in pes
 session is well worth your effort.
 | The school house in course of erection
 you must look well to ventilation and light. The color tones in the room are | important, and should be healthful, pieas- l ing tints. The furnishings must he ccm- | fortable. You want nothing on The walls l to jar the sense of sight in any way 1 They should be ornamentei only wirh
 those pictures which uplift. On the sub
 ject of school pictures pne could snrak volumes. It is better to have cne good 1 rictuie, which Is an exponent of a lefty l tiuti. than dozens with a questionable
 moral tone, although ornsaental in a l way. Pictures are impo .tart in the 1 teac hing of all branches. tn history they
 impress the lives of noted men and 'n- pc crtant events In geography they por- | tray cllmatic conditions. kinls of soil | manufacturing and vegetation of Girtr- | ent e rntrles.
 When building your sch, ol house co | not neglect to have a room for your girls l A light. airy room. where you can teach | them plain sewing and the value of the | proper care of the home. Tn this room 1 you could teach them lessons in practi- | cal cooking, food values, etc On some l holiday in the early spring. when the | hoys plant the garden the girls could hn 1ttna ahnn ot,d tt would be practical and beautiful dem l onstration of home life Every school in
 our state should strive to have fitted up
 such a room for her girls The women of Georgia have added such rooms to the l little school buildings in the Georgia mountain districts. Cannot the women
 of Alabama do as much? Let us work