Ornamentation of Our Country Homes. 153 



A man whose whole time and interest are devoted to the breeding and 

 raising of cattle, horses, mules or sheep, can scarcely find time to spend a 

 day or a dollar on his yards and gardens in the way of ornamentation, 

 whereas the horticulturist never fails to find time and means to beautify 

 his yards. But it is something practical that my subject calls for, in helping 

 to awaken an interest in beautifying our homes and how to do it. What I 

 have to say will not be new to many of you, and yet it is the same old story 

 of '• line upon line." 



Our country home varies from that planted in the native forests, sur- 

 rounded by many old trees, perhaps evergreens, a large yard in grass where 

 the horses are often turned to graze, or the chickens and hogs are allowed 

 to roam at will, to that of the pioneer on the prairies without a fence or a 

 tree about the home, where oftentimes not even grass is to be found, and 

 horses, mules, cattle, sheep, hogs and chickens can "go as you please." Be- 

 tween these two we have all grades of houses and yards, some pleasant, some 

 agreeable, some tasty, and some even handsome and picturesque. I do not 

 wish so much to instruct the horticulturist, or to induce him to plant, as I 

 do to awaken an interest in the minds of many of our countrj^ home keepers 

 that much taste can be displayed in the planting of our new and old places, 

 and that it can be done so easily. 



First, then, if it is necessary, and I am sorry that it is, we will have a 

 fence ; not a heavy fence, but one just as light and low as the circumstances 

 will permit. So many of our yards are spoiled with their fences; in fact, if 

 it could be possible, I would like to see the fences abolished entirely, but as 

 this can not be done, do the next best thing and make them as light and 

 airy as possible. Next, let us have a green lawn. A good set of blue grass 

 forms the most beautiful of all yard fronts. Sloping or rolling, as the case 

 may be, it matters not if we only have it well covered with a good grass 

 sward. The position or the home from the road is a very important matter, 

 for if we have our house too far from the road we will have more lawn than 

 we will take care of, and it will cost too much to plant it properly, and hence 

 we find so many places so sadly neglected. 



I have found that the greatest drawback to the pleasant planting of our 

 country homes and their ornamentation is a want of knowledge of what to 

 do and how to do it easily. The farmer is so busy that he has but little time 

 to give, and little knowledge, and no thought on the subject, so that it is no 

 wonder he lets the matter run at loose ends. I have found in many in- 

 stances where I have met such a friend and such a place, that one-half hours 

 talk with him on the ease and beauty of his place with but little trouble and 

 less expense, that invariably he was induced to do it. But, above all this, if 

 we can get a love of outdoor life and the beauties of our trees, we have a 

 lever to work with that will move the hills, rocks and stumps and make a 

 yard. Then, if we can suggest some easy means of reaching the desired 

 end, we may be sure that there are many who will adopt it. A house stand- 

 ing about 100 ft. to 150 ft. from the road, and, if on a corner, about the same 

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