398 Missouri Agricultural Eeport. 



shrub is this?" without recognizing it as a wild species which he has 

 tramped over in the woods all of his life time. 



All this puts us more in love with the home. It gives us a greater 

 pride in living, and it thereby makes farm life w^orth the living. It 

 furthermore brings us into a better understanding of and love for our 

 native plants and enriches our capacity of enjoyment of country sur- 

 roundings. 



SOME PRACTICAL DETAILS. 



While the foregoing suggestions may be helpful in originating 

 an artistic plan for the home grounds, it is desirable to consider some 

 practical details in carrying out the actual work. 



Grading the Home Grounds is one of the first operations, provided 

 the surface is not already in shape for immediate planting. No more 

 grading should be done than is absolutely necessary to accomplish the 

 following two things: 



First. Proper drainage away from the buildings, drives and 

 walks. 



Second. To get a smooth surface that can be mowed. 



Ordinarily, around the farm home it is best to leave in the main, 

 the natural contours. It is not necessary to take off all high places or 

 fill in all low ones. Natural slopes are better. Small holes and little 

 knolls, however, should be graded so as to get such a surface that a 

 mowing machine can easily be run over the place. 



It is desirable to have the earth high enough about the founda- 

 tions of the buildings so the water will drain away from them. Roads 

 and walks should be just high enough above their surroundings so they 

 will drain. If not well drained, roads and walks will cut up in wet 

 weather or early in the spring when the frost is going out. However, 

 if good drainage is afforded them, they will generally stand firm at all 

 times of the year. 



While natural contours may, for the most part, be left as they are, 

 it is best to have higher and lower areas join each other in natural, easy 

 lines, rather than in sharp angles. A necessary embankment, for ex- 

 ample, should not be graded as a sharp angle at the top or join a lower 

 area with a sharp angle at the base. These angles should be rounded 

 off so one contour joins another gradually with an easy slope, so no one 

 can draw a definite line where one area leaves off and another begins. 



Grading should never be done when the ground is wet, as this 

 puddles the soil so it will be lumpy, hard and crusty. For this reason 

 the autumn is the better time to do the grading. Grading, however, 

 may be done in spring, provided the soil is dry enough. 



