STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 209 



the many trees, flowers and shrubs planted, shows that there is much 

 natural taste among the mass of people — a taste that only needs directing 

 and encouraging to make beautiful places the rule and not the exception, 

 as they now are. 



Books and essays on landscape gardening are not read by most 

 people, and perhaps would not in many cases be of great value to them ; 

 but they should be read a n^^ s/udiet^ by nurserymen, florists, and all who 

 are interested in the growing and planting of trees and flowers. And here 

 I think is where the trouble is — horticulturists do not give the attention 

 and practical encouragement to the art that they should. Does it not 

 seem a little strange that horticulturists and florists, notwithstanding the 

 long time many of them have been exposed to what tliey call the refining 

 influence of their occupations, should be somewhat behind others in their 

 efforts to improve and beautify their places, and even in many cases seem 

 totally devoid of any wish to have pleasant surroundings. It seems as 

 though those whose business, in a large measure, dei)ends on the amount of 

 taste and refinement people in general possess, and the natural outgrowth 

 of this, the desire of improving their surroundings and making them ]")leas- 

 ant, should do their best to cultivate and improve that taste by setting a 

 better example than they generally do in laying out and improving their 

 own places. It is comparatively little trouble for tree-growers to arrange 

 and i)lant their grounds in a creditable manner, if they have any desire 

 to do so. It will be necessary, of course, to spend some time and study 

 to lay out ground in a tasteful and convenient manner, but no more time, 

 money, or trouble need be spent than every one can very well spare, if he 

 is willing. 



As convenience for business, ease of management, beauty, econoni)-, 

 and many other considerations enter into the business of laying out 

 grounds, it is necessary to give the subject careful consideration before 

 beginning, or in other words, have some sort of a plan to go by ; for if 

 one begins by doing a little here and there, without any very definite pur- 

 pose, the result will be that he has something on his hands that does not 

 prove very satisfactory, and that cannot be very well changed for the better. 



Probably almost every one knows that it is often more trouble to 

 find out what he wants, and how to do it in the best manner with the 

 means at command, than to carry out his plans after they are all arranged. 



In laying out grounds and in planning for buildings, as well as in 

 any other business, the more time and study spent in i)erfecting plans the 

 more likely is the result to be a success. 



Perhaps the idea that landscape gardening means something out of 

 the reach of persons of ordinary resources has somewhat to do with the 

 lack of interest felt by many in the subject. They forget that its prin- 

 ciples apply as well to the laying out of small grounds b) those of limited 

 means, as to the laying out of parks and country places by the rich. 



Beauty, taste and refinement, are not necessarily connected with 

 wealth, uselessness and extravagance ; but are, in their true sense, pro- 

 moters of usefulness, fitness and economy. For example, as a specimen 

 of the way planting is often done, we have only to take notice of some of 



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