12 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



ORNAMENTATION OF OUR COUNTRY HOMES. 



The distinctive difference in our country homes 1 can no more plainly show to 

 you than to cite you to the wide difference that exists, not only in our portion of 

 the country, but which I see everywhere here and in every community, and that 

 is in the homes of our stock men, and peculiarly our agricultural portion on one 

 hand and those of our horticulturists on the other hand. 



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 prac- 

 tical 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 surrounded 

 by many old trees, perhaps evergreens, a large yard in grass where the horses are 

 olten 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." Between these two we have all grades of houses 

 and yards, some pleasant, some agreeable, some tasty, and some even handsome and 

 picturesque. 1 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 country home- 

 lieepers 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 1 am sorry to say 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, 1 

 would like to see the fences abolished entirely, but as this cannot be done, do the next 

 best thing and make them as light and airy as possible. IMext, 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 of 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 to sadly neglected. 



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

 try 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 mat- 

 ter run at loose ends. 1 have found in many instances where 1 have met such a 

 friend and such a place, that after a half hour's talk with him on how to beautify 

 his place with but little trouble and less expense, invariably he was induced to do 

 it. But, above all this, if we can get a love of out-door 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 standing 

 about 100 feet to 150 feet from the road, and, if on a corner, about the same distance 

 from each road, will give any farmer all the room he will need for the front yard. 



