12 



Management of City Grounds. 



fiiir crop. Tn the month or June the gall 

 louse [oidiuni?] attacked the leaves, to- 

 gether with a dull yellow beetle, and de- 

 stroyed all the leaves, in consequence of 

 which the fruit dried up and fell off. The 

 next year was accompanied with the same 

 results, when we destroyed the vines. Three 

 years since, I planted fifty-three varieties 

 of grapes, some of them vitis vinifera. To 

 make a long story short, I have reduced my 

 varieties down to Concord, Ives, Hartford, 

 Diana, Martha, Rodgers Nos. 1, 2, 4 and 53, 

 Creveling, Herbemout, Black Hamburgh 

 and Malaga. Of the above, Concord, Ives 

 and Delaware I have succeeded best with. 



These are hardy, and yield finer bunches 

 and larger berries than the same kinds 

 north. The Black Hamburgh and Malaga 

 grow well in open ground, but would do 

 better if planted between such varieties as 

 Ives and Concord on the trellis, training 

 them to the lower wire, while the latter are 

 trained to the upper wires, protecting them 

 with their dense foliage from heavy dews 

 and rains. By adopting this plan, I believe 

 that most of the varieties of vitis vinifera 

 can be grown in this State, on land with a 

 porous subsoil, or soil artificially drained. 



[to be continued.] 



Management of City G-roiinds. 



An Address by It. W. Steele, before MoHtf/orneri/ Co, 

 The Management of City Grounds. 



AGrllEAT change of taste is manifest in 

 the last few years in the managemert 

 of city grounds. Formerly the chief ob- 

 ject seemed to be to crowd into a small 

 space as many trees — principally ever- 

 greens — as could possibly grow, thus shut- 

 ting from the house the sunlight, and pre- 

 venting the growth of grass. Nothing 

 could well be more dreary and funereal 

 than such a door-yard. Now, when the 

 space is small, it is wholly given to grass — 

 so beautiful and so refreshing to the eye. 

 The introduction of the lawn mower has 

 made green sward possible, which, if not as 

 velvety as the English lawn — the envy of 

 all American travelers — is yet very beauti- 

 ful and satisfactory. The first and indis- 

 pensable requisite for a city yard is a smooth 

 and compact sward. This can only be se- 

 cured by sodding. No matter how careful- 

 ly the ground is prepared, nor how skillfully 

 and plentifully sown with grass seed, it will 

 require a long time, if ever, to cover the 

 ground completely with grass by this method. 

 Do not be deterred from sodding by the ex- 

 pense, for it is the only way in which a sat- 

 isfactory result can be secured. To give 

 full effect to sward, considerable space is 

 required. This has been attained largely 



O.), Horticultural Society, 



in our city by the removal of division fences 

 between contiguous lots. So magical have 

 been the effects produced by this simple de- 

 vice, that the wonder is, that it was not 

 thought of and resorted to long ago. By 

 the removal of long rows of unsightly fences, 

 whole squares have been thrown into one 

 lawn, and the grounds of dwellings, which 

 before looked mean and contracted, now ap- 

 pear suitable and ample. How much it 

 would add to the attractiveness of our city, 

 if, wherever it is suitable, division fences 

 were removed. Aside from the increased 

 beauty, there is something pleasing in the 

 very idea of their removal. It seems to 

 proclaim to every passer that kindly feeling 

 and good neighborhood prevail in that local- 

 ity. I recollect once seeing between adjoin- 

 ing lots two hostile fences a few inches 

 apart, hurling defiance at each other and 

 proclaiming that malice and all uncharita- 

 bleness abode there. Who could pass such 

 a place without a shudder? It has been 

 objected that, by the removal of fences, the 

 danger of injury from stray cows and hogs 

 is increased. This may be true, but how 

 long will the people of Dayton submit to 

 have our streets made a pasture for cows 

 and hogs ? We have an excellent law on 

 the subject, and it only requires a little 



