BKAUTIFYING THE FARM. "iOT 



ditions will be recorded which may throw a little more light on the 

 much mooted question: What causes winter killing? 



A great deal of work in plant breeding has been carried on during the 

 summer. Professor Howard has been continuing his heredity studies 

 with some of our common flowering plants such as the portulacca, bal 

 sam and snapdragon. Color inheritance is the chief phase of this work, 

 although the behavior of size, shape and other characters was noted as 

 well. I'rofessor Emerson is away on leave of absence, doing graduate 

 work at the present time. The extensive work in heredity studies which 

 he has started is being continued partly by himself at Harvard University 

 and also, in part, at the Experiment Station, under his direction. Prac- 

 tically all of the plant breeding material was of such a nature that it 

 had to be watered artificially during the summer and, even then, it was 

 impossible to grow some of the plants as they should be grown. But 

 very few new experiments in any line have been started by the depart- 

 ment during the present year on account of the fact that Professor 

 Emerson is away. However, several new projects are contemplated for 

 the coming season. 



In mentioning horticultural work one must not overlook the land- 

 scape side which has been carefully looked after under the supervision 

 of Mr. Uunman. A good many trees, shrubs and other plants were set 

 out last spring and the general plan of the campus has been consider- 

 ably improved. A portion of the campus lawn dried up during July but 

 the most of it was well watered so that on the whole the summer bed- 

 ding effects were quite good and were appreciated even more than they 

 would have been had the summer been extremely favorable for the best 

 plant growth. 



Some time within the next year the horticultural department hopes 

 to have much better facilities for carrying on its work — as a new plant 

 industry building is to be constructed which will house this department 

 and several others. 



BEAUTIFYING THE FARM. 



E. H. HEIJMINGHAUS, LINCOLN. 



It cannot be denied that the tasteful ornamentation of rural homes is 

 not only one of the most agreeable^ but also the most natural recreation 

 that can occupy a human mind. Yet there are but few well ornamented 

 rural homes. The causes of such ^ st^e of affairs are usually considered 

 four in number. In the first place, many do not appreciate the need of 

 ornamentation; they see neither a recreative nor an economical value. 

 Secondly, we find very poor competition among the tillers of the soil in 

 the way of landscape ornamentation. Not only are the individual places 

 poorly ornamented but whole communities lack beauty as well. Then 

 there is little to spur the farmer on, unless he is otherwise gifted with 



