graded, teachers will often find it to the advantage of all to hear classes in the recitation-rooms, leaving the school-room in charge of a monitor. The exterior of this building is of a thoroughly simple, though somewhat novel character, the pitch of the roof being at an angle of about thirty degrees from the horizon. This, while sufficiently steep for shingles or slate, would, if of less pitch, require a metal covering. It will be found expedient, if slate is used, to have it laid on close boards, between which and the slate we would recommend the introduction of tarred felt, which not only has the advantage of warmth, but effectually prevents driving snows from penetrating the roof. When shingles are adopted it will be found best to fix them on lath of about one by two inches, at a sufficient distance apart to receive them, as shingles placed on close boarding are much more liable to decay. The exterior walls are covered with ordinary clapboards about as high as the attic floor, while above this vertical boards, about eight or nine inches in width, are employed, the ends being cut in an ornamental pattern, and the joints covered with moulded battens about one by two inches. These vertical sidings are sometimes called curtains, or aprons.

Heretofore our country school-houses have not only been of ill-conceived design and arrangement, but their coloring has been something painful to contemplate. Either white or red is usually employed, probably the most ill-assorted tints that could have been chosen. Would it not be better to have some of those warm, transparent hues, at once harmonious with the surrounding landscape and grateful to the eye? Little things like these, pleasing colors, architectural effects, well-balanced proportions, all aid in forming and refining the taste, and make the old school-house a pleasant memory in after years. Our children, living for the most part in plain homes, where nearly all is necessarily calculated for utility, and but little thought is ever given to æsthetics, need this force of contrast, and the school-house, instead of being the least attractive building in the village, should, by a higher taste, a more harmonious blending of form and color, lead these growing minds—unconsciously it may be to a love and desire for higher things than their fathers knew.

There are many shades of color which might be suggested. We would propose for the clapboard or body color a warm drab, such as would be produced by mixing with a cup of strong coffee an equal proportion of rich cream. Then all the trimmings, such as cornices, window-casings, water-tables and string-courses, should be of a darker shade -such a tint as the coffee would have with only a small proportion of the cream added-sufficient to produce a striking contrast, which may be seen at a distance. The apron of vertical boards before described should be of a middle tint, produced by mingling in equal proportions the colors before mentioned. The battens should be of the trimming color. Colors, in these and many other shades, are now prepared in quantities by large dealers, thus insuring to consumers hues and tints which are uniform in quality.

We would here mention that iron finials are a cheap and very ornamental adjunct to a design. Wooden finials are good, if proper models

can be obtained; but, as some iron-founders have on hand very appropriate patterns, we think it safe at least to recommend their use.

The location of a school-building is a matter deserving of attention; perhaps some innovation upon time-honored custom may be advisable. It has never been clearly explained why a school-house should be placed on the edge of a swamp, or on the top of a steep hill, nor has any one satisfactorily proved the advantage of locating it immediately beside the village graveyard. We would therefore, with due respect, advise that these heretofore favorite locations be abandoned, and that the building be placed on level, dry ground, and that it be as near as possible to the center of the neighborhood from which the children come. Sufficient ground should be secured to insure forever good ventilation and light. The light and ventilation which are sufficient for a residence are entirely inadequate to a room containing from thirty to eighty children, each of whom must be able, on the darkest day, to read at his seat fine print, and to breathe fresh air without going out of doors for it. It is well to have some shade-trees near the building, though a location in the edge of a forest, where the sun seldom warms or dries the ground, should be avoided. Care should of course be taken that the building is not placed near cattle-pens, pig-sties, stables, or other places from which offensive odors and impure air are constantly escaping.

The condition of the grounds about the building will largely modify its appearance. A school-yard in which every blade of grass has been trampled down will spoil the effect of the most perfectly designed and painted building. The ground immediately adjoining the building, therefore, should be neatly grassed, and for as great a width as practicable. Paths, for ingress and egress, should be cut through this space. The play-ground should be in the rear, and should not be allowed to encroach on the grassed surface. The monotony of a level surface of grass might with advantage be broken by groups or single plants of flowering shrubs or of evergreens. In most parts of the United States the forests contain evergreens and ornamental trees, which may be had for the trouble of digging up and transplanting. Most of the pines, cedars, spruces, firs, hemlocks, magnolias, dogwoods, etc., are at some or all seasons of the year ornamental, and as such are placed, often at great cost, in the handsomest grounds in the country. Our forests also abound in ornamental vines and creepers, which may be used with effect to cover fences, foundation-walls, etc. A small contribution from the pupils would effect the purchase of a few bulbs, seeds and roots, while a few minutes of labor, subtracted from the school-hours of some of the "bad boys," would keep the whole in order, and would perhaps have on said boys a more salutary effect than would leafless twigs applied to uncongenial shoulders and palms.

[It must be a source of satisfaction to the Architect of the above Plan to see occasionally, as he passes through the Rural Districts, a school-house located so as to afford its inmates at least a choice of sun and shade in different seasons of the year and periods of the day, and from its surroundings and equipment to deserve less the name of a Cemetery, and more that of a Seminary of Learning.]

PLAN OF A RURAL DISTRICT SCHOOL-HOUSE.

Town of Genesee Falls, Wyoming County, N. Y.

As an illustration of the better class of country school-houses, we present to our readers plans of one recently erected.

It is situated in the town of Genesee Falls, Wyoming County, New York, not far from the banks of the Genesee river, and about a mile from the famous high bridge at Portage, on the Erie Railroad below. The plan was designed by Mr. J. H. Selkirk, of Buffalo.

The site and ground contains about an acre in the form of a parallelogram, the shortest side being upon the road. The building itself stands about fifty feet from the road, and facing it. The soil is a gravelly loam, with good drainage; the situation airy, with delightful prospects about it. The ground is graded to a descent of one foot to twelve from the building in every direction to the distance of twenty feet. The house has three entrances; one a main entrance with double doors in front, intended to be used only when the edifice is occupied for public meetings or school exhibitions. It has an entrance in the wing on the left for boys and upon the right for girls. The latter before reaching the entrance door pass through a gate in a high board fence which extends from the building at right angles to the limit of the ground, and from thence encloses a small square play-ground exclusively for the girls, within which is a closet, the purpose of which is concealed by its being placed in the corner of a building used as a coal-house or wood-shed. In the opposite corner of the same building is placed the boys' closet, the access to which and the wood-shed are from the outside of the yard. This shed, containing these two closets, is placed directly back of the wing of the school-house at the distance of about thirty-three feet. The fence referred to a tight board one, picketed and seven feet high-extends between the wing and the shed. The rail bars of this fence have boards placed diagonally above the rail, so that little feet cannot get upon them or climb over from the rear of the yard. Into this yard the boys are not expected to enter. It is embellished with flowers and creepers planted in beds upon its borders.

The bottom of the sills of the school-house are two and a half feet from the ground, affording ample space for lighting a basement play-room, to be used in stormy weather or when the ground is muddy. Such a provision avoids any necessity for using the school-room as a play-house-a liberty which should never be allowed. The basement may also be used for storing extra seats required to be used at public meetings and exhibitions, and for placing a small furnace for warming the building. The main building is 20x30 feet, the wing 10x17 feet. The entrance halls or vestibule in the wing are 5 feet wide. They are each lighted by one window, and contain at the outer end cases of shelves standing on a five-inch base with twenty numbered spaces or pigeon holes, 12x14 square and 14 inches deep. The outer doors to the vestibules, as well as the front door to the building, open outwardly, thus saving space within the building, and affording readier egress in case of sudden alarm. The front doors swing against posts on the platform to prevent straining the hinges. The teacher's room occupying the space between the girls' and boys' hall is six feet wide. It is lighted by one window, and contains two closets which occupy the spaces between the chimney and the side walls. In these closets or cases which are shelved and secured by doors and lock and key, are kept the district library and experimental apparatus belonging to the school. The chimney which is built from the bottom of the basement below, passes up through this room against the outer wall of the main building, being entirely independent of it except that it passes through the cornice at the ridge. It contains two flues, one for fire and the other for ventilation of the schoolIt has two registers in the school-room, one at the base of the room and the other near the ceiling. The teacher's room is entered by a door on each side two feet four inches wide.

room.

If occupied by a male teacher the door on the girls' side is kept locked, if a female teacher the opposite door is secured. The room is lighted by one window. It affords space for a small table or desk, a wash-stand and lounge. The ceilings in the wing are nine feet and in the school-room eleven and a half feet high. Each window contains twelve lights, ten inches by twelve. There