i8g8. 



' ' ' GARDiiAJAi,. 



377 



tions, from continuous observations of 

 nothing better, are blinded to the essen- 

 tial ugliness of it all. This result is as 

 surely attained in the small door yard as 

 in the large estate, and the means 

 employed much the same only on a 

 smaller scale. 



Another possible reason for this depart- 

 ure from nature's methods, as someone 

 has aptly pointed out, is a prevalent idea 

 that there exists an eternal antipathy 

 between nature and art and between the 

 qualities they typify. These terms truly 

 are correctly used in contrast. The best 

 work of art lacks certain qualities which 

 delight the eye and kindle the imagina- 

 tion in a work of nature, and on the 

 other hand, the most impressive work of 

 nature lacks that evidence of human 

 intelligence exerted, of difficulties over- 

 come and ideals achieved which so power- 

 fully interest and charm in a work of art. 

 The artist cannot imitate nature any 

 more than nature can copy art and until 

 this fact is recognized we cannot really 

 appreciate the distinctive charm of either. 



Many people say, "We are lovers of 

 nature," and demand of the landscape 

 designer that he be a literal translator, 

 and deny his right to use the transform- 

 ing power of imagination in constructing 

 scenery. Others say, and they are in the 

 majority, "We are lovers of art." They 

 are willing that a painter dispense with 

 good drawing, natural color effects, local 

 schemes of light and shade if he thereby 

 secures some striking result, and they 

 call his work artistic in proportion as it 

 deviates most from the models offered by 

 the natural world. 



The latter canons of taste govern in the 

 domain of gardening more frequently, for 

 we have reached a mental development 

 where we all wish to be artistic. The 

 display of expenditure for its own sake, 

 the excessive use of striking vegetation 

 gives us results more along these lines 

 than do those developed more closely 

 after the suggestions of nature. 



The result is a monotony of treatment 

 than wtich not even the formal gardens 

 of the time of Louis XIV were more alike 

 in general character than those of 

 America. And this fact alone should 

 show us that we are on the wrong track. 

 No two natural landscapes are alike and 

 in short distances we find many very 

 unlike in general effect and detail. The 

 essence of all natural beauty is distinct- 

 ness of character. This brings us to our 

 first point in the successful arrangement 

 of home grounds. Before a structure is 

 erected, a path built or a tree planted 

 study to discover the distinctive feature 

 of the place. It must be strong enough 

 to be worth emphasis in order to be 

 interesting; but there are few places of 

 any size so dull and characterless as to 

 have no individuality. It may be a dis- 

 tant prospect, a stretch of woodland or 

 simply a pleasing sweep of surface or a 

 noble tree. 



Having chosen this commanding feat- 

 ure all development should De conducted 

 in harmony with it. 



If it is a distant prospect all else should 

 be subordinated so that the attention be 

 not distracted. Strong foreground in the 

 way of an occasional tree or massive 

 shrubbery may serve by contrast with 

 the dim lines beyond to add depth and 

 mystery to the distance, but there should 

 be nothing trivial or in the nature of 

 trifling ornament to intercept attention 

 irom the distant view. 



Where outlook is lacking, good effects 

 can be had where sufficient room permits 

 by variation of surface, increasing the 

 elevations and the depths of depression, 



by carefully managed shadows, bj- paths 

 vanishing mysteriously behind thickets. 



But whatever the arrangement there 

 must always be this central motive aud 

 such details may, from time to time be 

 added as the growing picture suggests. 

 Time spent in such study is a continual 

 pleasure; every woodland walk, every 

 tangled roadside thicket, every river bank 

 has its suggestions for new combinations 

 and the world becomes a vast sketch book 

 full of designs by the greatest of artists. 



The second point, which has already 

 been hinted at, is the necessity of adapta- 

 tion to need as a primary requisite. The 

 refusal to use foresight and to plan out 

 beforehand is to invite failure from the 

 start. 



We have learned pretty well the neces- 

 sity of planning in building our houses 

 and the same principal obtains in land- 

 scape designs. Using the word in its 

 widest sense, William Morris says, 

 "Architecture is a great subject, truly, tor 

 it embraces the consideration of the whole 

 of the external surroundings of the life of 

 man; we cannot escape from it if we 

 would for it means the moulding and 

 altering to human needs of the very face 

 of the earth itself." The lulfillment of 

 need will insure true beauty. 



Considering, now, some of the practical 

 questions growing out of these principles, 

 perhaps the point at which we can make 

 most improvement is in the matter of 

 more seclusion in our home grounds. We 

 are not quite ready to adopt the English 

 way of completely excluding the public 

 with a high wall or hedge thus depriving 

 the public of the pleasure of seeing us and 

 our place, and from taking a w r holesome 

 interest in our affairs. But some of us 

 could enjoy privacy and home life besides. 



For the small place we can get our les- 

 son from the old colonial homes. By 

 locating the house nearer to the street 

 and close to one of the side lines, and 

 partly concealing it with shrubbery or 

 not too high growing hedging on the 

 street line. In this way we get a good 

 plot at the rear and perhaps on one side, 

 which we can border thickly with free 

 growing shrubbery, vines and flowers and 

 an occasional well placed tree, and have 

 open space in the center for lawn. 



In the choice of planting material "that 

 is best which lieth nearest." If we con- 

 fine ourselves to native plants, and 

 those from climates similar to our 

 own, we will not lack for variety; and 

 if we largely avoid forms and colors 

 that are unusual and striking we will go 

 a long way toward securing harmony 

 in the general effect. 



And finally plant trees and shrubs that 

 will give the greatest amount of beauty 

 for the least amount of care; that will 

 thrive despite the severe cold of winter 

 and the long droughts of summer; and 

 such flowers as will come up from yearto 

 year without the gardener's constant 

 care. 



The American type of suburban home 

 grounds has yet to be evolved. When it 

 does come it will excite the wondering 

 admiration of even our English visitors. 

 It will be created and maintained at 

 comparatively little cost. It will make 

 our towns continuous bowers of ever 

 changing interest and charm. It will 

 make ot each home a truly homelike spot, 

 attractive enough and individual enough 

 to lay strong hold on the affections of the 

 family and natural enough to foster 

 their love for nature in her best forms, 

 and yet protected enough to give them 

 full opportunities for the development of 

 united home-keeping domestic habits of 

 life. 



MORRIS A. HILL. 



WORKERS IN HORTICULTURE, XVI. 



The death of Morris A. Hill removes from 

 our midst a man whose noble traits of 

 character endeared him to all those who 

 had the good fortune to know and to come 

 in contact with him. Mr. Hill was born in 

 Goshen, Conn., sixty-three years ago, and 

 came to Ansonia in 1S64, moving from 

 Thomaston and entering the employ of 

 the Slade Woolen Co. For a number of 

 years he was thus engaged, and after the 

 company went out of business he com- 

 menced growing a few flowers and plants, 

 extending his operations from time to 

 time until he had the largest and best 

 equipped greenhouses in Ansonia. For 

 fifteen years he had also been the superin- 

 tendent ot the Pine Grove cemetery, and 

 the work done there in late years has 

 been under his supervision. The land- 

 scape gardening and beautifying of the 

 f rounds proved him to be an artist of the 

 rst rank. A wife and fivechildren mourn 

 his death. The children reside at home, 

 there being four sons and one daughter. 

 The business will be carried on as hereto- 

 fore by his heirs. 



Fruits and Vegetables. 



COMMENT CONCERNING CALIFORNIA. 



I have just returned from my trip to the 

 Pacific coast where I enjoyed myself very 

 much and feasted on fruits and flowers 

 to my heart's content. California has had 

 an exceptionally dry season, but the 

 flowers are blooming in great profusion 

 and fruit seems to be abundant. 



I called on A. W. Thompson, who has a 

 large fruit ranch three miles west of 

 Petaluma in Sonoma county. Mr. 

 Thompson has several thousand apple, 

 pear, plum, peach and cherry trees and 

 says that apples and pears are the most 

 profitable fruits to grow, especially in that 

 locality. He is selling his pears at $20 

 per ton. His summer apples, the Graven- 

 steins, are just ready for market and 

 bring $40 per ton, while the Alexander 

 only brings about $30 per ton. Spitzen- 

 berg. Yellow Newton, Pippins, Sonoma 

 Seedling, Greenings, Bellflower and other 

 fall and winter varieties are in good 



