Page:Oklahoma Arbor and Bird Day, Friday, March Twelfth, 1909.pdf/20

18 may cause several days' delay in the planting. It is therefore impracticable to depend wholly on a specified day for the work. Let the trees be planted at the right time; then, if public exercises are planned, they may be held on an appointed day after the planting is completed.

Many difficulties at present encountered may be overcome by placing the direction of the planting in the hands of some person who understands fully its purpose. The pupils should assist in the work because it is for their own school ground, but on account of their lack of experience they should work under competent supervision.

There should be both purpose and method in school-ground planting. The trees must be so arranged as best to serve both for protection and for ornament. At the same time, to grow well they must be adapted to the soil. On a small ground but little planting is possible; a group of trees or shrubs placed where they will look well or hide some unsightly feature of the school house or ground, is sufficient. But in the country there is usually an acre or two of grounds. The school house is nearly always in the middle, and the playgrounds are usually about half way between the building and the other boundary. This arrangement leaves open the outer portions of the ground, where the greater part fo the planting is needed.

By so planting, the school house will be protected on all sides from the wind, while in summer, shade will be provided near all portions of the open playground; at the same time inclosing the ground with a border of trees will give a pleasing ornamental effect. Instead of being continuous around the ground, the border should be broken in places to preserve attractive views of the exterior landscape.

The front ground in most cases should be solidly planted. If it is necessary to hide objectional buildings and other objects and other objects on the front and sides or to prevent the trespassing of stock, either a hedge or an irregular belt of shrubbery may be made to serve the purpose. Two or three groups may be introduced where they will not interfere with the playground or obscure attractive views.

KIND OF TREES TO PLANT.—The first rule to lay down is to plant only the kinds that are known to be hardy. A school-ground plantation is no place for experiment. Naturally the trees will have to endure greater hardships than those of a private plantation; they will be likely to have less cultivation and may be subject to more abuse. No matter how strict the rules, the soil about them will be more or less tramped, and twigs will sometimes be broken from their tops. Any tree that cannot endure moderate abuse of this kind should not be given a place on the school ground.

On account of difference in the soil, a tree that thrives in one place in a locality may not thrive in another place. Sandy soils and clay soils are often found near together, and trees that grow thrifty in sandy soil may have a hard struggle to exist when placed in clay. For this reason both the soil and the subsoil of the ground should be carefully examined, and a list should be made of trees in the neighborhoods that are thriving on soils of the same character, and no other species should be used. Much better success may be expected with a soil and a