BEAUTY WITH UTILITY ON THE VILLAGE LOT. 347 



hand, the sooner will he understand that the fruit of well directed 

 labor is uplifting and tends to make the world better in consequence. 

 Persons naturally enjoy artistic taste to a greater or less degree, 

 and it is safe to assert that when this taste is once cultivated by a 

 person to the extent of adding new beauties and comforts to the 

 home, by planting and cultivating useful and ornamental trees, 

 shrubs, vines and plants, no backward step will be taken, but there 

 will be an increased desire to add new beauties,' comforts and jo^^s to 

 the home life as the years roll on. Presuming this to be true, every 

 man, woman, boy and girl should develop this aesthetic taste by hav- 

 ing a part in the beautifying and adornment of the home. Children 

 should be encouraged to plant and care for some flowers, plants or 

 trees of their own, and be taught that whatever about the home is 

 pleasing and attractive will not only be enjoyed by the members of 

 the family but that persons passing along the street will look on with 

 admiration and approval. 



COVERING BUSH FRUITS. 



D. V. PLANTS, LONG LAKE. 



In 1885 I commenced covering bush fruits. I did this by plow- 

 ing around the row with a small one-horse plow, throwing the fur- 

 row towards the row. This was the first work of that kind that had 

 ever been done in the neighborhood. ]\Iy neighbors derided the 

 idea and said that I would break the bushes all to pieces. I told 

 them that they might as well break as to freeze. The results were 

 that I had a good crop of fruit. The next year several fell into line 

 and covered their fruits, — after this it became general. 



Covering bush fruits is done by bending the bush to the ground, 

 throwing dirt on the tops to hold them down ; then some would plow 

 them under, others would do all the w-ork by hand. One might ask 

 which of the two ways is the best for general covering. I do not 

 know. I have covered both w'ays, more or less, "since 1885. The 

 results are about the same — but cover your bush fruits at all hazards. 

 For my part I do not like either way, because the breakage is too 

 great ; the tops are not held firm enough to keep them solid to the 

 ground. Every jar raises the arch of the canes higher and higher, 

 and throwing dirt on them from plow or fork will break more or 

 less of them. 



The Secretary : ]\Ir. Plants lives on the north side of Lake Min- 

 netonka and raises a great many raspberries. He has a machine 

 with which he covers his bushes, and I understand by the method 

 he uses a great deal of labor is saved. 



Mr. D. V. Plants : The machine is not perfect yet. It was 

 made by the Monitor Plow Works, in ]\Iinneapolis, and a part of it 

 was made by a blacksmith ; but the machine is not yet perfect. It 

 does nice work, and the reason for the production of the machine 

 w'as, as I said in my paper, I did not like either of the other ways 

 of covering because the breakage w-as too great. When you put the 



