484 



Reading-Course for Farmers. 



darkening of the cellar windows and to obviate any danger of rotting out 

 the woodwork. A free-growing bush may be a good reinforcement at the 

 corner of the house, if it is allowed to take pretty much its natural course, 

 in not being kept sheared. If the eaves drip, it will be impossible to grow 

 anything very satisfactorily near the house ; both for the good of the 

 planting and of the foundations, eave-troughs should be provided. A few 

 vines may add much to the looks of snugness and coziness of a house, 

 particularly on porches ; and brick or stone houses may well be covered 

 or draped with Boston ivy or Virginia creeper. 



ID. The yard should have good care. The first necessity in the main- 

 tenance of any place is common neatness, — the same kind of pride in 

 tidiness that the good housekeeper has in her work. The slackness in the 

 keeping of yards can rarely be charged to the lack of time, as is so com- 

 monly said; it is rather a lack of utilizing the spare minutes, as a thrifty 

 business man or professional man organizes his time. It is often said that 

 the busiest man has the most time. He organizes his efforts, does things 

 quickly, then takes up something else. 



The }'ards show on their face what kind of effort the man puts forth 



to keep his place in order ; and good 

 housekeeping and good care-taking 

 are as important as good architec- 

 ture or good landscape gardening. 

 It is surprising how little pride 

 country dwellers seem to take in the 

 appearance of their premises and 

 yards. It is probable that half the 

 farm yards that, one will see are de- 

 void of homelike and attractive 

 features ; and very many of them 

 are an oft'ense to a sensitive eye. 

 The pride in a good yard is as 

 necessary to a fully successful farm 

 business as pride in serviceable and 

 attractive clothing or in a good turn- 

 out. These things all go together, 

 being an expression of the resource- 

 fulness of the man. 



The general plan of the place 

 oujjht to make for cleanliness and 



Fig. 300. — A common ivhite oak, remnant 

 of a forest alonf^side a creek. Compare 

 method of branching with Fig. 299. 

 \ 



tidiness. If the premises are con- 

 venient and direct, and devoid of fussy features, the labor of keeping them 

 in presentable condition will be much reduced. These remarks apply with 

 particular force to barnyards. One would almost think that many barn- 

 yards are arranged for the special purpose of catching water. If buildings 



