UNIVERSITY OF HilNOIS LIBRARY ATXIRBANA'CHAMPAIGN CMLA f,M «.« Nebraska Educational Bulletin APRIL, 1916 Volume Two Number One Published quarterly by the State Department of Public Instruction, Lincoln, Nebraska. LANDSCAPE GARDENING AS APPLIED TO SCHOOL GROUNDS STATE OF NEBRASKA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION LINCOLN Next to the home, the school should be the pleasantest place in the comniiinity DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION LINCOLN, NEBRASKA A. 0. Thomas, State Superintendent. Alice C. Stanley, Deputy Superintendent. A. V. Teed, Assistant for Kural Education. Lulu S. AVolford, Assistant for Rural Education. Prepared By Prof. Tell W. Nicolet of the University of Nebraska, Department of Horticulture. LANDSCAPE GARDENING AS APPLIED TO SCHOOL GROUNDS VISION is essential to intelligent progress in large undertakings and that vision must be complete and must embrace all phases of the development of the project. The increased interest in our country- schools and a keener appreciation of the possibilities of country life make possible advancement in many avenues formerly closed. As we become aware of our opportunities and possibilities in the State of Nebraska we shall exert ourselves more systematically to bring things to pass. Next to the home the school should be the most important place in the community. This has not been taken into serious considera- tion in most instances. The schools of our state are like unto two sisters of one house- hold ; the one beautiful, the other plain and even homely ; the one arrayed in fine linen, the other clad in the coarse garments of menial toil; the one stationed in the parlor amid paintings, stat- uary, literature and music, the other delegated to the rear of the house among pots and pans; the one presented to all the gay comers, the other shunned as of small consequence. Go where you will about the state and in our towns and cities you will see, crowning the hilltop, splendid edifices, marble palaces pointed out with extravagant pride; while out in the country the little old schoolhouse, cheaply built, with battered sides, stands hidden in the vale or bleak on the hilltop, with no vestige of verdure but sunflowers and ragweeds — and yet the most of our children are in the country and the mainstay of our democracy' receives its preparation in this little institution. Realizing the possibilities the country affords for contented, prosperous and useful life, and the needs of some systematic ef- fort to "brighten the corner where we are," the Department has asked Professor Nicolet. the landscape architect of the University of Nebraska, to prepare the material which this bulletin contains hoping to stimulate greater activity in beautifying our schools. Much of the improvement herein called for may be accomplished [5] by the pupils through the encouragement of the parents and the Board of Trustees. While this bulletin is calculated especially for the villages and the country districts, it contains many suggestions profitable to our towns and cities. A. 0. THOMAS, State Superintendent. LANDSCAPE GARDENING AS APPLIED TO RURAL SCHOOL GROUNDS INTRODUCTION The movement to beautify school grounds, which is fast spreading over our country, has made very rapid The move- progress during the last few years. People have be- ment to gun to realize the value of school grounds properly beautify laid out in accordance with the principles of land- school scape gardening, and with the proper relationship grounds between the building and the various parts of the grounds ; such as gardens, play areas, lawn areas and planting masses. EXISTING CONDITIONS From the general appearance of most of our Ne- braska school grounds, it is evident that something Grounds should be done to make them more inviting to the generally students. We have learned the value of proper light- overlooked ing and ventilating which has been expressed in the design of most of the rural schoolhouses that have been built during the last few years ; but in regard to the arrangements of the grounds there seems to have been practically no forethought emphasized in any degree. It appears that country schools have been re- garded as just places to send children in order that they might secure an education : tliere has been little regard for a proper environment. The few trees that exist on most of the school Plantings grounds of this country at large have been placed • there by nature, but in Nebraska, except where trees have been planted, the school grounds are entirely de- [6] void of any sort of tree or shrub growth. Some at- tempt has been made, however, to plant a few trees for the purpose of a windbreak along the north and west boundaries of the school lot, but it has failed to give satisfactory results, from the esthetical as well as the practical standpoint in nearly all instances. It is to be acknowledged that children must play; the larger boys are wont to participate in the various sports such as football, baseball, basketball, etc., as well as gymnastics ; the larger girls in basketball, vol- leyball, croquet, etc., and the smaller children play under the direct supervision of the school teacher. Need for This fact has given rise to the introduction of organ- play areas ized play in most of the large municipal play grounds in this country as well as to those occurring in many of the rural districts. Proper attention should be paid to the size and location of these areas as well as the other elements such as the school garden, the out- buildings, walks, etc. It is certainly not out of place to provide for such a demand in the laying out of our school grounds. Most country school grounds are entirely too small. The children who are being brought up in the country are not accustomed to being cramped in narrow quar- ters. They enjoy the freedom of open country, the views of miles about them, and for this reason the ru- ral school grounds should carry out the same idea as Size of expressed by the surrounding country. As has been school stated before, boys and girls must play ; and if the grounds gounds cannot provide sufficient area for baseball, football, and other games, the areas which should be in lawn as well as that of the road will be utilized for this purpose. For any community that wishes to im- prove the conditions of its school grounds no better advice could be given at the start than that of the pur- chase of more land. This must, of course, be war- ranted by a sufficient number of students. All children, even the smallest, delight in a health- [7] ful and beautiful environment and for this reason alone it is essential that the school grounds be design- ed from an esthetical point of view as well as the prac- tical. The esthetical side of a child's education must not be entirely neglected and if the students of the rural schools are given a chance to beautify the grounds, they will not only acquire some knowledge Education- of landscape design but will also become acquainted al value with trees, shrubs, and perennials, their planting and culture. Any school containing play areas protected by an adequate windbreak, will most certainly attract the country child to it. Furthermore, it would serve as a center of rural improvement where people of the community could come in order to secure ideas for the development of the home grounds. With these conditions in mind it is the intention of the writer to so describe the design of rural school grounds that they may fulfill all of the above require- ments. THE PLAN In the design of any ground, whether private, pub- lic, or that of the school, the plan is very important. In the first place the designer is better able to study the problem at hand by means of a plan. Usually, no two school grounds are exactly the same size, shape, have the same kind of soil, or the same views ; in fact, the schoolhouses themselves are of various sizes and placed in different positions upon the ground. By the Value of use of a plan one is able to see the entire situation at a a plan glance and accordingly is better able to lay out the different units : such as play grounds, lawn, planting areas, school gardens, as well as the location of the sanitaries. The relation of schoolhouse to grounds, of walks to grounds and school house, of planting area to laA^Ti areas, etc., can be studied out with a greater degree of accuracy by means of a graphic plan than they could be without it. Not only would the rela- [8] tionship of different areas be made evident, but the de- signer would be better able to study out the exact lo- cation of the planting areas, the sizes of the beds for the shrubs, as well as the number of shrubs which should be planted in any particular group. In the sec- ond place a plan outlines a definite policy of develop- ment. This permits the carrying out of the plan over a number of years if it is not possible to realize the de- signer's idea at one time. Thirdly, a very important value of a plan, if properly executed and hung in a conspicuous place, would be to create in the parents as well as the children themselves an interest in the development of that particular school ground. The best place to display such a plan would be in the schoolhouse itself where the students might study and observe how it is being carried out. kMoi Gauea; -)OTL0MEA| -Of- CoAsoLiMTEPjciiooL kmm C0rt*l!.L51Aq uMur [ivt Achts ^ 5c«00L QaJ-BW Pigr. 1 A susnest«=d Dlan of arransement for the consolidated school g^rounds. The schoolhouse is located to the left of the center of the lot and the [9] teachers' cottage placed in close proximity to it. The girls' and small children's play area is located near the school house, hence under the watchful eyes of the teachers. The barn and parking- space, where the students may leave their horses and carriages during school hours, are located in the lower right hand corner of the design. The boys' playfield contains a full size baseball diamond, a 260 yard running track as well as provisions for other field events. The area to the left of the design is set apart for the school gardens. MAIN CONSIDERATIONS IN THE DEVELOP- MENT OF THE PLAN Naturally, there are school grounds which are locat- ed on the north, south, east, or west sides of the road and the design of the grounds must necessarily be in- fluenced by this orientation. For instance, if the school building faces the south the windbreak which should be along the north side of the property would Orienta- naturally be located behind the buildmg. If, how- tion ever, the building faces the north, as is the case with the school in District 36 in Madison county, Nebraska, (See Fig. 3), it may be necessary to put the windbreak in front of the building along the road line. If this is done, an entirely different treatment will be necessary in the grouping of the trees and shrubs which compose the windbreak. The shape of the lot will have a marked influence on the general arrangement of the grounds. A long, narrow lot with the short side abutting the highway Shape to all intents and purposes will make .just as suitable of lot a layout as a long, narrow lot with the long side fac- ing the road. The square lot will make still another scheme of development. It will be easily seen that in the first case (See Fig 2) the area between the school house and the road may be kept in lawn with perhaps one or two walks crossing it and that the play areas and school gardens can be placed behind the school house. In the case of the long, narrow lot with the long side facing the road (Fig 3) the building may be placed in about the center of the lot, with the lawn lying between it and the road. The playground for boys might then be placed on one side of the structure [10] and that for the girls ou the other. As for the square lot (Fig, 4) the problem of arranging the grounds be- comes a little more difficult. The lawn area should, as in the case of the previous example, be located in front of the schoolhouse and in some cases it may also extend on both sides, while the play grounds must necessari- ly be located, in most cases, in the rear of the lot. The boys and girls playsteads should be separated by a marked barrier which may be in the form of a shrub- bery or in some instances merely a straight walk. Thus, it will be seen that the shape of the lot will in- fluence the arrangement of the different parts to a very considerable extent, and it must be borne in mind that before any planting of school grounds is undertaken the plan of arrangement must first be completed. As before stated the school grounds are not large enough for the purposes which they are supposed to serve. In case of small school grounds which com- prise, let us say, one quarter of an acre, it is almost impossible for the students to indulge in any of the Size of field sports. The baseball diamond requires an area grounds of about one and one-half acres, but it is not always necessary to have a full sized one. There are a great many miniature diamonds made with but 40 to 50 feet between the bases which are adapted for exigencies of this sort. Where there are 50 students attending a school the grounds should comprise no less than three acres, and if there are 75 or 100 students the grounds should be at least four to five acres. The grounds of the proposed consolidated school will include about five acres. It would be better to have more land than is absolutely needed at the present time in order to provide for expected growth in the future. It is not best to locate the school on low ground, be- cause there arises not only the question of drainage but also the matter of outlook which must be some- what narrow in such situations. It is likewise disas- [11] r^hoc^ dfi This is a long, narrow lot with the short side fac- inK the roadway. The ar<^a on both sides of the schoolhouse is kept comparatively open and but two trees used to enframe the building. [12] trous to locate the school on top of a hill where it would be subjected to severe exposure. The south- Selection east slope is best. In regard to the section it is better of a site to locate the schoolhouse on the corner where it will be most accessible. Furthermore, if it can be placed on the northwest or northeast corner it will be better adapted to a scheme of development inasmuch as the windbreaks would be in the rear, where they would not only serve as protections but also act, es- thetically, as a background. The careful consideration of all good views which Views may be obtained from the school is very important. In many cases the design itself might be influenced by some particular and dominant view. Climatic and soil conditions must not be overlooked Plantings and the designer must use only those trees and shrubs influenced which he knows will thrive in that particular location, by climate For this reason the material obtained from the nearest and soil nursery will more often prove to be the best to use. Prevailing winds must naturally be considered in the laying out of any grounds in our state. A certain amount of protection is needed from the hot south- Prevailing west winds of summer. But these winds do not bear winds such a great influence on the design of school grounds as the cold northwest winds of winter, at which time the school house should be protected more than at any other season of the year. Naturally, the question of good water, is important, both for drinking purposes and for watering the "Water lawn, trees, and shrubs. It is a good sanitary pre- supply caution not to locate the well in close proximity to the outhouses. The designer must suggest a scheme of development Financial that will be within the financial means of the district, condition Furthermore he should give them a plan which will of com- require the least amount of maintenance. The latter munity point is indeed very important as it is difficult to get [13] a hard working community of farmers to allow time for that purpose. iJistE-ict 3b, M,ADLSOx County Scale. Oae. Lack Cj.tJAi.s fveAp- rtt*> rig-. 3 This plan wiU be carried out by the people of District 36, Madison Coun- ty. It is to be noticed that this long narrow lot has the long side facing the roadway. Note the boys' play area to the left and that for the girls to the right of the schoolhouse and that the area between the structure and the rnad is kept in lawn. Almost every square foot of this school ground is utilized. PRINCIPLES OF LANDSCAPE GARDENING THAT APPLY TO RURAL SCHOOL GROUNDS Landscape gardening is the subdivision of land into smaller units and the arrangement of objects upon it so that there will be the maximum of utility combined with the greatest amount of beauty. By this defini- tion it may be readily seen that the arrangement of Definition the grounds is of the greatest importance in landscape work. This is particularly true in the case of school grounds where the limited area must serve so many needs. The type of development which should be chosen for school grounds is that which will utilize the greatest per cent, of the lot area. There are in general two types of landscape garden- [14] Types ing; the formal or geometrical and the informal or natural. The formal type is usually characterized by straight lines or circular curves expressed by the walks, hedges, trees, etc., and by an obvious balanced rela- Formal tionship or symmetry of the different units of the de- sign about a main axis. This type of landscape gar- dening produces the highest efficiency in the, utiliza- tion of a given area, and for this reason it is adapted for school ground development. The informal type is very different from the geo- Informal metrical. The various areas are generally non-rect- angular in shape and the symmetry is more incompre- hensible. The walks are usually curved and the plantings are so designed that they will, in a general way appear as though they were planted by Nature, The type of development which is best suited to ru- ral school grounds is one which is formal in its gener- al layout and informal in its plantings. This type avails itself of the economy of space of the formal plan without the loss of the informal beauties so widely associated with the country. One of the most important principles of any type of landscape gardening to be considered is that the lawn should be left comparatively open in the front and that the trees and shrubs should be planted in masses along the sides and back, as well as around the base of the school building. If the grounds are treated in this way it is very easy to see that there will be a certain oneness in effect ; that is, there will be a unity in the design. If, however, the trees are planted in rows and the lawn literally cluttered up with individual speci- mens there will result a number of objects all of which are competing for the interest of the observer. Unity Naturally instead of producing one picture of the grounds, we obtain a great many. What we wish to do is to produce a picture of the grounds with the schoolhouse as the center of interest. Prof. F. A. Type for school grounds [15] Waugh has giveu us this definition of unity — 'somo idea should prevail throughout and all details should be subordinate to it." This is exactly what has been expressed before in this paragraph — that the main idea is the schoolhouse, and no part of the grounds should be of sufficient interest to detract from it. The trees and shrubs should be so arranged that they will appear as one mass rather than a number of in- dividual specimens. In planting only one kind of a shrub throughout there would arise a certain unity both in regard to size Monotony and material, but the result would be very monoton- ous. Without overstepping unity, a certain amount of variety can be introduced in the plantings as well Variety as in certain portions of the design itself. Variety may be obtained by varying the dimensions of the play grounds, by introducing different kinds and sizes of trees and shrubs into the border plantation, etc. There are species of trees and shrubs which have very distinctive shapes, and by their judicious use a certain amount of variety may be introduced in the actual silhouette of the planting, as well as in the size and color of the flowers, and the time of bloom. THE DESIGN Location of school- house Service The school house, which in most cases has already been located, should be comparatively near the road in order that more area at the rear of the building may be available for play grounds. The question of proper facilities for handling wood and coal should have careful consideration. It is of- ten necessary for a service drive to enter the grounds at some point which will not interfere with the play area of the school grounds. This drive should be di- rect ; the coal shed and horse barn can be placed somewhere along it and perhaps woven into the pic- ture by the use of trees and shrubs. [16] f OLML LlYOUf fo^ SCiiOOL SCALt Ol^.t [ACH taUAL5 fWtAfY tttf -^- — Pi?. 4. Designs verv similar to the above have been carried out with a grr<=>at deal of success in a few communities. Note that the lawn area is keot open and shaded by several large deciduous trees. The girls' and small children's play area is separated from that of the boy's, and enclosed by plantings The school garden is placed in close proximity to both the boys and girls' play areas. The windbreak is located along the north and west sides of the lot. There is very little waste space in this lavout. [17] The placing of the sanitaries should be very care- fully considered. Usually the best location for them Sanitaries is in the rear corners of the property. In the case of a larger lot, the sanitaries should be placed in some convenient relation to the building. The walks should usually be of some coarse mater- ial such as crushed stone, gravel or cinders. In any case they should have a slight crown in order that the water might flow from the surface as quickly as pos- Walks sible. Naturally, the walks which are located in close proximity to the schoolhouse will be used to a greater degree than some of the outlying ones and it is thor- oughly recommended therefore that they should be of some permanent material such as brick or concrete. The .play ground area for boys should contain, if Play- possible, a basketball court, a baseball diamond, and grounds a running track. The girls play area should include basketball, volleyball and croquet courts. The small children's play area might include sand boxes and swings. The larger areas might well be kept in turf. In the case of the smaller ones, where grass is imprac- ticable, a gravel or cinder surfacing is to be preferred to dirt inasmuch as the latter becomes very muddy after a rain storm. Not every rural school might need a school garden. When desired, however, it should be located upon the school lot and can be made a unit in the design just as well as the playgrounds, or the lawn areas, or the schoolhouse. To secure unity in the design it will be The school almost necessary to enclose the garden by some sort garden of an artificial barrier, such as a fence covered with vines or a hedge either clipped or undipped. The hedge should consist of one kind of shrub, planted in absolutely straight rows and close together. This will cut off the view of the garden from any part of the school yard, and thus the unity for which we are striving so hard, will be maintained. Trees and shrubs are, in the main, the materials [18] which the landscape gardener uses. They have a practical as well as an esthetical value. The trees should be so placed that they will serve to frame the picture of the schoolhouse. Usually more than one view of the schoolhouse is desirable and trees should be so arranged that they will enframe all of them. Trees to Not only must the views of the schoolhouse be empha- enframe sized but all of those obtained from the different win- views dows of the building should, if possible, be framed by trees. It may not always be possible to preserve all of the views and in most cases it is better to emphasize a few good vistas instead of a great many poor ones. The type of tree which is best for such a frame is that kind which will eventually become a large tree. The white elm is an excellent tree for this purpose as well as the Norway maple, American sycamore, white ash, and scarlet oak. Sometimes there are undesirable surroundings which may be seen from the school house or from the vari- ous parts of the grounds, and in this case a group of trees may be used to "plant it out," as it is often termed. The Carolina poplar, Lombardy poplar, and Trees as a soft maple are rapid growers and may be used for screen screening purposes. It is thoroughly advised, how- ever, that Black Hills spruce, bull pine, and Scotch pine be introduced into these groups together with the before mentioned quick growers so that an all-year- around screen will eventually be secured. Shade is essential on all school grounds in that it offers cool, inviting places to sit and thus be protect- ed from the hot sun of the early fall and late spring. It is not best, however, to plant trees for this purpose in rows on the lawn area which occupies that space between the schoolhouse and the road. Two or three Shade trees on the lawn are usually sufficient, and they trees should be placed rather near the building, but not di- rectly in front of it. If properly located in relation to the design as a whole, other shade trees may be used [19] Pig-. 5. The windbreak seen to the left of the school house is very ineffective in winter. Evergreens should be used tog-ether with deciduous trees and shrubs. By the addition of a few shrubs and flowers about the school house an entirely different effect will be produced. This is the Deer Creek school in Madison County, Nebraska. Pig-. 6. This is the same school as shown in Fig-. 5. Note the windbreak which will not only serve as a, background to the picture, but will protect the school and grounds during the win- ter. The hard lines of the building softened by the trees, shrubs ana flowers arranged in groups about it. [20] The wind- break Choice of material Trees ill the immediate vicinity of the play ground area where they may serve a useful purpose to those who seek a few moments rest after violent exercise. Trees may form the framework of the belt planta- tions or windbreaks which will adequately protect the school grounds from the severe winds of winter and spring. It has been the custom in Nebraska to plant trees in three or four rows along the north and west sides of the grounds, and the result has been that when the trees become fifteen years old or so, the low- er branches were crowded out and nothing but the bare trunks for a distance of 6 to 8 feet from the ground were left to break the force of the wind. It is essential to use both trees and shrubs in our wind- breaks, and they may be grouped in masses and not planted in straight rows. The width of this border plantation should vary, thus creating certain bays or hollows formed by the curved outline of the shrub and tree masses. The natural result of such planting will he to make the size of the grounds seem greater, and to create a more interesting border composed of masses of trees and flowering shrubs. This will at the same time serve a utilitarian purpose in the pro- tecting of the sehoolhouse and its environments from the winds. Questions on choice of trees and shrubs for wind- breaks are constantly being asked. There are a great many trees and shrubs that may be used in eastern Nebraska, but in the very dry localities, they must be chosen with great care. It is thoroughly advised to introduce evergreens in the belt plantations both in the eastern and western parts of the state. They are very drought resistant and make fast growth when once established. Among those which may be used in eastern Nebraska are the native bull, jack, Austrian, Scotch and white pines, the red cedar, the concolor fir. the Black Hills, Colorado blue, and Douglas spruces, Avhile the Jack and bull pines may be grown in [21] Pig. 7. An example of the type of school grounds to be found in Nebraska. It is almost entirely devoid of tree and shrub growth.' Tig. 8. This is the same school house shown in Fig. 7, properly plante<3- Xote the windbreak in the rear and the shrub and flower planting about the base of the building. [22] almost any part of the state. The deciduous trees vrhieh may be introduced into the windbreak may in- clude honey locust, white elm, hackberry, green ash, and Kussian olive as well as scarlet oak, pin oak and Norway maple. For the sake of introducing variety in the masses of the border plantation smaller trees may be used such as red bud, wild plum, prairie crab, and chokecherry. Shrubs are essential elements of the windbreak in- asmuch as they supply the much needed undergrowth which fills in the space between the ground and the foliage of the trees, thus producing a barrier which Shrubs should offer adequate protection to the schoolhouse and its environments. The elderberry, sumac, snow- berry, coralberry, red dogwood, buffalo berry, wild currant, honeysuckle, snowball, Van Houtt's spirea, lilac, mock orange, Juneberry, Amur River and Polish privets, rosa rugosa, as well as many others, may be recommended for the eastern part of Nebraska, while the sandcherry, smooth sumac and Russian mulberry, buffalo berry, bush honeysuckle, spireas and viburn- ums may be grown in the more arid portions. It must be borne in mind, however, that there are portions of this state which do not readily support tree and shrub growth without watering or irrigation, as well as a great deal of personal attention, and for this reason it is doubtful if any list of trees and shrubs could be recommended at present that will be entirely free from criticism. Shrubs may be grouped about the base of the school building for the purpose of blending the straight and vertical architectural lines of the structure into the gentle flowing lines of its surroundings. These shrubs Shrubbery should be planted in groups instead of one continu- Planting ous mass extending entirely around the building. about Portions of the foundation should be visible in order school- that the structure will at least give the impression of house standing on the ground. Usually the larger speci- [23] mens should be planted at the corners with the medi- um and smaller growing ones in front. It might be well to use some of the better flowering varieties about the building and among them might be men- tioned Weigelia rosea, Lonicera Morrowii, Lonicera tartarica, Forsythia fortunei, and Spirea Van Hout- tei, which should be placed in the background, and Berberis Thunbergii, Symphoricarpos racemosus, Rho- dotypus kerrioides, Symphoricarpos vulgaris, Rosa rugosa, and Ribes aureum which may be planted in front of the higher growing ones. When making a planting plan for any desired lo- Grouping cation it must be borne in mind that a conglomeration of shrubs of different kinds of shrubs and trees will not usually produce the proper effect for that particular part of the design. It is essential that the principles of uni- ty, form, texture, color, etc., as well as variety, should be strictly adhered to. The characteristics of the plants should, then, be given very careful considera- tion. There are tall spire shaped trees as well as low globular forms. Some shrubs have an upright habit of growth while others are more low and spread- ing. In view of this fact a word may be necessary as to the proper placing of them in the masses. Shrubs should be planted in groups of 5 to 15 or 20. In some instances it may be necessary to plant more than those amounts in one group. The taller shrubs should be placed in the background and about 4 to 5 feet apart. The medium growing kinds may be placed in front of these (the individual plants placed 3 to 4 feet apart) and the low growing shrubs iu the foreground (2 to 3 feet apart. Not only should the shrubs be arranged according to height but the color and time oE bloom is also essential. Among our native shrubs we have; some which have red flowers, while others have yellow, cream, pink, rose or white ones. It is very necessary that the color schemes be planned with a great deal of care. The unharmonious colors, such as red and pink [24] or blue and red. should not be placed together, but should in fact be separated by a shrub which has white flowers. However, the shrub which has the red flowers might bloom in May while the pink flowered one would not bloom until the latter part of June, and in this case it would be correct to place these together, if they car- ried out the desired effect in the mass as regards height and texture. It would not be in the best of taste to use coarse leaved shrubs entirely, nor would it be correct to use shrubs which have only fine leaves. To carry out a variation in the texture it will be nec- essary to group together shrubs of heavy and medium, heavy and light, or medium and light foliage. Flowers may be planted in the shrub borders as Flowers well as about the school building, in groups of per- haps 5 to 8 or 10, and only those species should be chosen that will bloom in the spring and fall at which times the school will be in session. The taller kinds should naturally be placed in the background and the smaller ones in front. The kind of floAvers that should be used on school grounds are those which require the least amount of care. Herbaceous perennials such as columbine, aster, hardy chrysanthemum, del- phinium, pinks, iris, lily, peony, oriental poppy, wild phlox, and yucca are especially recommended. They die down to the ground during the winter months and grow again the following spring. Flower beds should never be placed in the lawn. Vines and climbing roses may be grown on the building as well as on the outhouses and fences. Trel- lises made of wood, or wire should be used, especial- Vines ly if the structure is constructed of wood. The hon- eysuckles, clematis, and rambler roses are to be es- pecially recommended for growing about the school- house while Engleman's ivy, wild grape, honeysuckle and Clematis mav be grown on the outbuildings. [25] CONSTRUCTION AND MAINTAINENCE It has been suggested by many prominent men in- terested in the development of school grounds of our country that some sort of a planting bee might be ap- propriate in the spring when the fathers and older brothers might be drafted for a few days to help out in the planting. In some instances it is not possible Executing to carry out all of the design the first year and in the plan fact it would be better if the work were carried over for a period of three or four years. The execution of the design might in this case be done by the students themselves under the careful supervision of the teach- er. The trees should be carefully located and plant- ed the first year. The walks, playground areas and service drive should be located and built at the same time. The shrubs may be planted after the trees have had one year to establish themselves. Flowers in the way of herbaceous perennials or annuals may be planted the third year. It will not be necessary to go into detail as to the construction of the play ground areas, walks, of the service drive as such matters are well understood. After the tree and shrub areas have been laid out on the ground in accordance with the plan they should Planting be thoroughly spaded up to a depth of at least 12 inches. It must be borne in mind that the trees and shrubs should be placed deeper in the ground than they were before being moved. In the dryer parts of the state it is well to plant them 3 inches lower. The trees should be planted first and the location for the shrubs marked by stakes. The holes should then be dug for the shrubs in these spaded areas and the plants set in place. The perennials should be planted in much the same manner as the shrubs ; the taller ones toward the rear of the group ; the medium size next in front and the lower growing kinds in the foreground Plant them deep enough to prevent the roots from [26] being exposed after the first rainfall. The ground must be packed about the roots. The test of good planting is proven when it is impossible to pull the plants up. These planting areas should be carefully cultivated for the first three years or so after being Culti- planted and the weeds kept away from the trees, vation shrubs and flowers at all times inasmuch as they sap the moisture from the ground which the latter should have. In other words the planting areas will have to be treated in exactly the same way as you would care for a garden for these areas are nothing more or less than gardens of trees, shrubs and flowers. If water is obtainable on the grounds it might be well to water the plants once every day or every other Watering day until well established. Furthermore, it may be a good expedient to apply water from time to time during the summer months, especially the first year after planting. Each spring the trees and shrubs will have to be pruned back; that is, cutting out the dead wood and cutting back the last year's growth in order that the plant will throw out more branches, thus making a Pruning more dense growth. There are many good bulletins and books written upon the subject of pruning trees and shrubs and it might be well to acquire one before attempting any pruning. A mulch of straw or manure should be spread over the perennial beds after the ground has frozen and Care of raked ott" in the spring when the danger of frost has flowers passed. The cannas and dahlia bulbs must be dug up in the fall and placed in a cool cellar. In the spring they should be divided and replanted. A good lawn is one of the first and most fundament- al features of the grounds, but nothing in garden making requires more thorough preparation and dili- Making gent care than does a perfect lawn. The ground the lawn should be plowed and harrowed three to five times in each direction. Then apply well rotted barnyard ma- [27] nure at the rate of twenty-five tons to the acre and work it well into the soil. Rake to a perfect grade and seed with the following mixture : Kentucky Blue Grass -10 parts by weight Canada Blue Grass 20 parts by weight Fancy Red Top 15 parts by weight Meadow Fescue 10 parts by weight Paeey's or English Rye.... 5 parts by weight R. I. Bent 10 parts by weight White Clover 12 parts by weight 81 2 bushels of this mixture should be sown to the acre, or one pound to 300 square feet. The ground should be raked in order that the seed will be entire- ly covered, and then rolled with no less than 300 pound roller. Do not make the mistake of too fre- quent waterings as they have a tendency to weaken Care of the drought resisting qualities of the lawn. Allow the lawn the grass to grow three inches or so before mowing the first time, and then keep it about two inches high. During the early winter, when the ground is frozen, a light application of well rotted manure will aid to offset the eft'ect of alternate freezing and thawing and serve also as a fertilizer. The manure should be raked off in the early spring. It is well to plant groups of narcissus in the lawn Bulbs in after it is well established. They add interest in the the lawn early spring and die down long before it is necessary to mow. Plant them in irregular groups of 50 to 100, 6 to 12 inches apart and 5 to 7 inches deep. A LIST OF TREES, SHRUBS AND HERBACEOUS PERENNIALS RECOMMENDED BY THE STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY (This list applies to the entire state except where otherwise specified.) SHADE TREES Golden Poplar (for trial, Magnolia Accuminata Hackberry AVild Black Clieny [28] Sycamore (S. E. part of state) Auiericau Linden Mountain Ash Black Walnut Butternut Ash Soft Maple American Elm English Elm Purple Leaved Elm (English ] European Larch (East part) Kentucky Coffee Tree Ked Bud Tulip Tree (East part; White Birch Horse Cliestnut (East part) Sweet Chestnut (East part) Russian Olive Oaks Hard 3Iaple (East part of state) Norway Maple Schwederlii "s Maple Wier's Cut Leaf Maple Catalpa Speciosa (East part) Catapla Buugei (East part; FOREST TREES Black Locust (Extreme west; Honey Locust **Elm Ash Soft Maple Catalpa Speciosa (East half Walnut, Black Carolina Poplar Russian Mulberry (except ex- treme west) Osage Orange Box Elder Cottonwood Norway Poplar EVERGREENS **Black Hills Spruce Picea Pungens Englemon Spruce Douglas Spruce (Extreme east- ern part) Abies Concolor **Jack Pine (Windbreaks and groves; White Pine (Extreme eastern part) Balsam Fir (Extreme eastern part) ** Austrian Pine HARDY SHRUBS Flowering Almond (Pink and white ) Purple Barberry Buckthorn Caragana Bush Honeysuckle (Lonicera' Flowering Currant Deutzia **Denotes those specially recommended. [29] Dogwood, FloAvering Elaeagnus (Wild Olive) Elder (Golden Leafj Exochorda Flowering Crab (Bechtols) Forsythia Fringe Tree Hj'drangeas High Bush Cranberry Japan Quince Lilacs Privet Eosa Kugosa Snowball Snowberry Sumac Spireas Arguta, Bridal Wreath, bumalda, An- thony Waterer, Douglas, Gol- den leaved, opulifolia, Thun- bergii. Van Houttei. Philadelphus Tamarix Amurensis Wahoo Weigelia Viburnum opulus (var. Sterilis) Snowball Viburnum acerifolium Vibuinuin lantana (Wayfaring tree) Viburnum lentago (Sheepberry) Viburnum opulus (High Bush Cranberry ) Yucca filamentosa ash-leaved Billardi, PERENNIALS Asters Boltonia Bleeding Heart Campanula Coreopsis Columbine Chrysanthemums Shasta Daisy Dianthus Sweet AVilliam Funkia Fox Glove Hibiscus American Ivy (Englemann) Honeysuckles Wistaria Trumpet Vine 1 lolly hocks Iberis sempervirens Iris Gallardia Goklen Glow Gypsophila Larkspur Oriental Poppy Phlox Platycodon Tritoma (annual) VINES Clematis Bitter Sweet Wild Grape [80] CLIMBING ROSES Crimson Eanihler Prairie Queen White Rambler Baltimore Bell Wichurania Creeper Dorothy Perkins CONCLUSION The object of this paper is mainly to create an inter- est in the improvement of the rural school grounds in this article Nebraska. It is hoped however, a few points may be Object of derived which will be of some service to the reader, though the author has not intended that all the sugges- tions contained herein be applied to all cases. The Department of Horticulture of the University of Nebraska has men trained in the art of landscape Assistance gardening who will be glad to aid those within this offered by state who may apply for assistance in the development writer of school grounds. In rendering this assistance it is necessary that they have a sketch of the grounds which should include the dimensions of the lot, an arrow pointing toward the north, some indications of the best views seen from the sehoolhouse, the dimen- sions of the buildings, the position of windows and doors and the relative location of trees, walks and road indicated bv measured distances. [31] ■;s^ )523