Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1913-02-14
%BEAUIfYNG The RURAL SCHOOL, GROUNDS

|t10 VOU0
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he about $50 inches. The green ash
and the poplar IRE to be alternated
in tho rows, thus each row will be
composed Of equal numbers of both
kinds. They may be planted at n dis.
lance, say, of 8 feet apart. Some Of
these may perhaps fail to grow. The
noplars will want TO be removed In
the course OF time, and If the ash
trees are too thick they always are
valuable for transplanting.
The two outside rows and one in
side row may be planted to western
bull pine, Pinus ponderosa, which Is
native to the southwestern portion OF
the state. Out side Of, the two row.
of pines, it may be advisable. on the
| west side, ii the school house fronts
south, to plant a hedge ~snowbreak.
This may be of white willow, but
| probably the Siberian sandthorn or
| sallOw thorn is to be preferred. The
bull pines may be planted 5 feet apart.
At this rate it will require about 40s
nine trees. T~ransplanted pine trees
of s to ~ inches in height should be
J secured from a good nursery, shipped
by express and carefully planted, par
ticular care being taken that the roots
are not allowed to be exposed to tho
! air.
The trees may be planted according
to the following directions: In plant
ing the trees we take ground at least
two years old. Deep burrows are
! plowed every 5 feet. A pail of very
thin mud is prepared and a bunch OF
each kind of trees kept in it. Trees
are planted by n man, using a
| spade. The spade is inserted at the
bottom OF the furrow and worked back
and forth to form a wedge-shaped op-
ening. The root of the tree is insert
ed as the spade is withdrawn. After
the removal of the spade, dirt is press
| ed firmly around the roots Of the tree.
The lurrow is partly filled in by a
! corn %cultivator, straddling each row
| of trees. 1t is better to leave the fur
row only partly filled in, for by doing
so water from the rains will run into
the furrow, keeping the ground moist.
/ / uc trees SuOulu fUc AcI|l CUlllNulcu
for four or five seasons.
The school house Should be placed
towards the front of the grounds and
near the center from left to right.
In front OF the school grounds, along
the main read, there ought to be set
a row of trees, at q distance, say, OF
Is or 20 feet. These probably should
be green ash. Parallel to, and inside
| of, the longer shelter belt may be
built q road extending back towards
the real shelter belt. This road may
be terminated in a shed to be used
as a stable and what.not. The out
houses may be located in clumps of
Ltrees in the shelter belt, leading off
| from the road to thegshed. There
! should be. gravel walks around the
school house and in the lawn should
be clumps of shrubbery arranged in
a neat and decorative manner.
The plants that go to make up these
clunps may be wild ones, secured
from draws and buttes. They have
their beauty when given proper con-
ditions and we know that they arc
adapted. A. het.ge may be planted
on the fourth side Of r. the school
grounds, the east side, II the house.
fronts south. n. .trs D. f,.... .
In one corner of the school ground
a space should be devoted to a school
garden. This school garden may con.
sist at first of the common plants;
flowers, vegetables and farm crops.
As time goes on it will be we'll to de-
vote some of it to little trial plats in
regard to questions in which the stud
entsi are interested. Later on, the
school garden, or the little demon.
stration farm, perhaps, we may call
it is best to start with a small one.
Eack OF the school house may be
found the playground. The playground
should not consist Of a bare vacant
SPACE, but should be provided with
swings, t~eeters, sand piles and other
things dear to the heart Of a child.
The grounds as | have outlined
them, while perhaps seemingly com
pick to some, may really be consider
ed simple. For the ideal condition
| have in mind, l would want to see
the grounds extended enough so that
a house would be provided, if the
teacher desired to live ear the school,
and especially with the consolidated
| school, for the one in charge. More
over, I would want to see these
! grounds, or perhaps more preferably
adjacent grounds, fitted for the coun-
try CHURCH; not exactly the country
church of the present, however good
it may be, but one modified to suit
better the needs Of the general run
OF people. I would want to see a hall
built for social gatherings. In this
could be a dining room, auditorium,
| club rooms, and SO on. In short, the
location Of the country school should
be the social center. If we start out
with a pretty school house, arranged
in ample grounds with we'll cared for
shelter belts and clumps Of shrubs,
it would take but little inducement
for the school to become such a cen
ter. sh
The suggestions that l have given
for planting the school yard, ! trust,
are simple enough so that they a
be applied to any school district in
/ this section of the state and believe