210 NEBRASKA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



in a forest. Trees are also beautiful in themselves. They have form, 

 color and texture. Elms have square heads, pines have a horizontal 

 branching habit and the Lombardy poplar has an erect branching habit. 

 Then there are also weeping elms, mulberries and w^illows. The honey 

 locust and the catalpa have lighter foliage while the pines are of a 

 dark green. Catalpas have large broad leaves, while the locust has fine 

 compound leaves. Now, use these trees in your screens and shade for 

 their diversity. If you cannot use them for shade or screen purposes use 

 them for pure onamental purposes. The deciduous trees are showy in 

 summer and conifers or evergreens in winter and, by the way, plant 

 a specimen tree of the beautiful Colorado Blue spruce, as there is 

 nothing more delightful or inspiring than the same in dead winter. All 

 in all, have a variety of trees and good ones, too. Poplars, box-elders and 

 willows are cheaper, but they give a cheaper effect. 



Everyone has seen a forest or a woodland. It not only consists of 

 trees but it also includes shrubbery or under brush growth. The shrub- 

 bery plays its part by hiding the- trunks of the trees and by covering up 

 a general bareness at the base of the trees. Shrubbery should be planted 

 with groups of trees to give this naturalistic effect. They should be 

 planted in groups, yet the spirea Van Houttei makes a fine individual 

 specimen. The group may also serve as a screen, or as a barrier to 

 trespassing. By all means have groups of shrubs at the sides and back 

 of yard. Make these plantings the boundary of the yard. This boundary 

 may consist of one continuous group or of several smaller groups. Do 

 not plant the shrubs in rows or squares but just clump them together. 

 The boundary of the groups should be curved or bulged out at places. Do 

 not place much shrubbery at the front boundary. It may be well also to 

 have shrubbery directly in front of the house and at the sides. Perhaps 

 there is a foundation to hide. In these groupings one should have tall 

 ones in the rear and smaller ones in front. Tamarix, mock orange and 

 lilac are good tall shrubs. Spireas, dogwood, snowballs and privets are 

 very good intermediates. The Van Houttei spirea is the most beautiful 

 of our shrubs in flower, form, and foliage. Make an entire group of this 

 one. Barberries are the best of small shrubs. 0f course you have a good 

 nursery down at the creek. It will offer dogwood, buckbrush, sumac, 

 gooseberries and elderberries. It will be well to use some of these — yes, 

 all of them, for there is nothing better for a rural effect. 



The forest also has its vines. The tallest weeds along the road sides 

 are twined upon by morning glory or bindweeds. It certainly is a part 

 of nature. By all means plant vines. Plant them on the fence if it still 

 stands. Sheds can be completely covered by vines. If your house is 

 built of bri( k, then use the Virginia creeper, but do not use this on wood 

 as it will aid decay. It is possible to have vines on the house by using a 

 trellis. Honeysuckles, clematises and Crimson Ramblers are fine for a 

 trellis. Ordinarily vines are used on porches and the effect is good. T 

 once saw a farm home porch covered with a grape vine. The vine was 



