POSSIBILITIES OF COUNTRY HOME GROUNDS. 169 



THE POSSIBILITIES OF COUNTRY HOME GROUNDS. 



MRS O. C. GREGG, LYND. 



In giving" my few thoughts on this subject, I would like to 

 preface what I say by assuring you that I do not propose to instruct 

 as an artist nor direct as a scientist, but merely suggest and inspire, 

 as I may, along lines which would make possible better things 

 in country home grounds. 



That much may be done to beautify the landscape by making- 

 more attractive the grounds of those who possess the land goes 

 without saying, for in this regard our country, even under best con- 

 ditions, is far from having reached the point of perfection. Indeed, 

 it might be said to be but little past a good beginning. The im- 

 provement of country grounds is as necessary to the advancement 

 of our commonwealth and nation as those of the city. Art and sci- 

 ence may even go farther here than within the narrow limits of the 

 city. 



The Creator has done marvellous things in supplying man with 

 that which is beautiful, grand and sublime, but there is much that 

 He has left for man to do and much not to do. Nature has done 

 so much for some grounds that man has only to adjust his buildings 

 in such a way as to turn all to good account, — filling in here and 

 there, it may be, to make an harmonious whole ; but on prairie lands 

 man is left entirely to himself, and too often he does the thing 

 easiest to be done, plants a row of trees. This is better than noth- 

 ing, but can we not do a little more thinking and add variety as well. 

 An outline need not be always straight. Irregular and curved lines 

 are more pleasing, for they are more varied, and the eye does not 

 become weary with looking. 



Minnesota has done much of planting in rows, and there are two 

 good things to be said of this method, — it is neat, and the young trees 

 can be easily cultivated. But can we not combine with this some- 

 thing that will be more pleasing, something like the English copse, 

 which softens so beautifully the angularities of the landscape? In 

 some instances it might be well to scatter bushes at different dis- 

 tances and in different numbers inside a hedge to break the monoton- 

 ous straight line as one's eye takes in the beauty of a lawn or 

 meadow. I remember more than one instance of seeing in my child- 

 hood some grand old trees in the middle of a meadow — and. if. I 

 remember rightly, they were nut trees, beech trees. I think — a thing 

 to make a picture of, with cattle or sheep resting beneath their cool 

 shade in the heat of summer. 



We are told that it is our duty to be in harmony with our en- 

 vironment : of course, that alludes to higher things, our social en- 



