INDIANA HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 275 



area enclosed by a fence and at the side or rear of the dwelling. The 

 first and most essential feature of a lawn is size, especially depth. I know 

 that many homes have but yards where there should be lawns and this 

 can not be remedied. The first and most important step in beautifying 

 a lawn is to get a fine sward. This can be done easily in some localities 

 and is very difficult in others. There is nothing more pleasing in lawns 

 than individuality. Don't let a misguided neighbor or "ready-made" 

 landscape gardener induce you to dig up a magnificent old tree of any 

 kind to plant out a "weeping monstrosity" that Avill be inclined to make 

 you weep as the years go by for its failure to weep at the right time 

 and in the right place. Neither would I have you grub out a fine lilac, 

 snow-ball or a well-grown shrub to ]nit in its place an evergreen or box- 

 Avood whose only mission in life is to do just exactly as man has directed 

 and that is to look like an artiticlal sentinel on dress parade. Guard with 

 care any out-cropping of rock ledges of prominence, and don't be too 

 hasty in the cutting down of high and filling in of low places. I know 

 how all important it is that the lawn mower be kept going, but there are 

 other things to be thought of besides closely shaven grass. If the lawn is 

 large, as it should be, no tree will be so large as to dwarf it, but if it is 

 small it is apt to suffer from comparison with large trees. If it be too 

 shallow from street to house this cnn be remedied in a measure by plant- 

 ing closely along its sides with trees and shrubs and by a straight, closely 

 planted avenue of trees direct from the house to limit of lawn. The 

 present style of Ioav browed, rambling colonial architecture is very trying 

 on lawns unless they are deep ones, and those contemplating building 

 houses of this kind should not make the mistake of not securing lots 

 with room for a lawn. If there is plenty of shade in the rear or sides of 

 the house, the lawn should not be too closely planted. A few real fine 

 trees with room enough to spread as God intended them to, and possibly 

 a clump or group of mixed kinds growing together will give a much better 

 effect than many scraggy or straggling specimens scattered at regular 

 intervals all over the grounds. I, myself, would never plant flowers on 

 the lawn as an ornament. The only place for them would be as a border 

 to the shrubs or shrub border that flanks the ideal lawn. 



How many pleasant recollections one has of dooryards bright and 

 cheerj% "not too good for human nature's daily food," with no signs of 

 "keep off the grass." Here there is no attempt to be made of grandeur or 

 an awe-inspiring nature. The only absolute essential is cleanliness, all 

 else is detail. If the family he a flower-loving one, it is wonderful how 

 many flower beds can be made in a yard of even very modest dimension, 

 how many lovely vine-covered trellises, how pretentious a summer house 

 it may contain, and if the girls are ingenious no mean "lover's lane" can 

 be ari'anged by folloAving serpentine paths and flower-bordered walks 

 thnt eventually lead to a rustic seat too large for one and scarcely large 

 enough for two. 



