Amador ledger., 1906-08-17

THOUSANDS or Sch00l houses entirely
lack the simple surroundings tnat
Would insure beauty and contentment.
We mean by this not paucity in archi-
tectural design, but in the simple mat
ter of Identification through planting,
which, in many cases, can be attained
by arousing the interest of the scholars
themselves. Some city schools have
no space for planting at all, although
some contain good arrangement of
flower beds and shade trees. In the
towns and villages, also, it is possible
to point out many examples showing
great care and attention. 1t is in the
country, however, that the improved
school ground is rarely found. 49,
The ideal school q ground, which
should really be as much a part of
the building itself, and where the pu-
pills can be shown the wonderful oper-
atoms of nature, serves two distinct
purposes.
First, it becomes technical labora-
tory, where the Intelligent teacher can
point out the marvellous chemical chan
ges which occur with each appearance
of the seasons-the starting of plant
life, with the warm days of spring, the
fuller growth of summer with it's bios
SONS and fruit and the matured wood
growth, when the leaves drop in the
fall-a cycle in the plants history
and
Second, the influence that such study
has upon the growing mind. With a
reasonable amount of this sort of edu-
cation, coupled with the three RS, the
child will never develop the tendency
to rip to pieces the shrubbery of his
own home or dig out and trample IN
der foot the young plants in the garden.
Furthermore, he will likely take his
school garden for his ideal, and use his
influence to make the home yard its
equal in appearance, if not its superior.
The object, too, of school yard plant
ing is strictly utilitarian. School
house, some of them splendid brick
structures as we'll as sod house build
ings, can be found which are absolute
" devoid of tree or shrub planting.
Both the winter winds and the summer
heat operate upon them with I'M
checked violence. Why not plant trees
and inaugurate the assistance of the
pupils in so doing, which will not only
act as wind breaks, but afford shade?
In connection with this subject the
Bureau of Forestry of the Department
of Agriculture has issued Farmers
Bulletin (No.. 134) on Tree Planting
for Rural School Gardens. This can be
obtained without cost, by writing
either Clifford Pinchot, Forester, U. S.
Department of Agriculture, Washing
ton, D. c., or to your U. S. senator or
member of Congress. 1t contains much
information which is useful and out
lines several practical plans for not
only the Identification of barren school
grounds but for a primary study of
forestry-tree planting and tree
growth.
USE AND INFLUENCE OF TREES.
What tremendous influence for
good in every town, it would be, if
every school boy and school girl should
become interested in tree planting and
shrub planting. Arbor Day has become
great institution. Its observance
has resulted in the planting of millions
of trees. every spring. Suppose that
it were universal, and that every child
in every town should become as enthu-
siastic over the planting of tree each
year, and watching and attending to
it, as he is over the observance of the