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Show I BEAUTY & COMFORT I OF SCHOOL GROUNDS H Horticultural Expert nils Attention H to Bleak, Barren Appearance of the H School (.rounds Throughout State. H By EMIL HANSEN H (Landscape Gardner and Assistant H Horticulturist, U. A. C.) H In a recent trip through the state my attention was called to the school - H houses and their surroundings as M seen from the car. It was indeed a M great surprise to note how few of M the schoolhouscs had any attempt m whatever towards beautifying their M grounds by plantings of any kind. In B some instances the schoolhouses bore H evidence of having built many years H ago, indicating that the teachers and M pupils of such schools had endured M the sun of summer and sharp wind and B blizzards of the winter during these m years. This has all been due to ne- M gleet in not having planted a number M of trees which would have served HH both for shade and for a windbreak. M The Horticultural department of the M Utah Agricultural College is making M an effort to convince the public of the M importance of such planting, and it H stands ever ready to assist with prac- B tical suggestions and any other help HH that may be desired. Hj It is a self evident fact that tree- planting around school-houses would J not only be a comfort to the teacher H and the pupils but would add much H to the beauty of the structure as well. In many instances the building is con- struct -d in a most excellent fashion. No expense has been spnrcd to secure HJ all the modern conveniences which the architect has desired in carrying H out his work. However, the grounds J nil rou ml in j' such buildings often have H remained unimproved, with no shade H trees or windbreaks or attempts of HJ any kind made towards beautifying Bj the same. It should be realized that J until such improvements have been H made a very important phase of the H architecture has been left unfinished. H There is no school ground too small J to plant a row of trees along the bor- KS berline and there is none too large H which would not offer an opportunity H to plan for a lay-out with groups of H trees planted in such a manner as to H give protection to the building as a H windbreak as well as serving for nec- H eeemtry shade to the playgrounds, as H well as beautifying the same. H I know of no place in the state H where a schoolhouse is located where H conditions are such that trees will not i JH grow. There are trees suitable for 1 every location within our state, and H considering the cost of such trees, H they can be secured very reasonably, i H In muny instances the public, with ' H some encouragement from the teach- BH or, would take great pride in assist- BH ing in such planting and would also i BH manifest an interest in the upkeep of BBV the same. If the pupils are given the BBBl privilege of planting trees on the BH school grounds, it should be under the BBV supervision of some experienced per- BBj son in order to make the undertaking BH a success. An appropriate celebra- BBj tion of Arbor Pay may help to pro- BBBj mote the general sentiment of tree- BH planting. BHB1 |