ORNAMENTAL TREE PLANTING. 433 



Some of the older cities in southern Minnesota are shining- 

 examples of this mistake, and if a discriminating cyclone, avoid- 

 ing all else, could sweep their streets clear of all the present trees, 

 allowing them to start afresh on proper lines, in a few years they 

 would acknowledge it as a blessing in disguise. 



Avoid, therefore, this mistake of planting thick and thinning 

 afterward, for it is a delusion and a snare. Where the trees can 

 be transplanted and used elsewhere it may occasionally be done, 

 but where it involves the use of ax and grubhoe it will cause 

 trouble in the family if on private grounds, and almost the over- 

 throw of political parties if on public grounds. 



The value of flowering shrubs for ornamental purposes is 

 too often overlooked by those engaged in this work, but by their 

 use much of the overcrowding of the large trees may be avoided. 

 The fact is that on an ordinary town lot. especially if there be 

 good trees in the street in front of it, there is little use for large 

 trees, except to give shade at some exposed point. Some of the 

 smaller choice varieties, as Weirs' maple and cutleaf birch, and 

 cho'ce specimens of evergreens, will be available, but the main de- 

 pendence will be on these shrubs. The list of shrubs from which 

 to choose, even in this severe climate, is sufficientlv lone, and as 

 we o-o southward it increases rapidly. First, we have the native 

 wild species of our meadows and woodlands, the value and num- 

 ber of which are generallv overlooked. The nurseryman's list, 

 where he makes a specialty in this line and of the propae^ting 

 and development of new varieties, is an astonishino- one. Where, 

 amone the lilacs, our parents knew perhaps two kinds, the com- 

 mon and Persian, and two colors, the purple and white, one of 

 the cat-^loo^ues on mv desk offers fortv-six named varieties. The 

 old-fashioned honevsuckle has been multiplied ten fold, the sv- 

 rino-as and spireas still more, and if we turn to the peonies, phlox 

 and other hardv perennials the increase is still more marvelous. 

 With this ample supplv of material to draw upon, let us proceed 

 to further develop our plan. 



If a studv of the locality shows, as it may on rare occasions, 

 that the outlook in all directions is entirely monotonous and un- 

 interesting, and the area of the ground to be improved is sufficient, 

 we may extend our border plantings entirely around the property, 

 using trees and shrubs tall enough to conceal the dreary world 

 without, and with this as a frame arrange our picture entirely 

 within, 



