390 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



could be made than to adopt a plan for the improvement of the 

 home that does not include a generous amount of thought in the ar- 

 rangement of the proverbial "back yard." Ask any good housewife 

 what the effects of an infrequently swept kitchen floor may be on 

 the general appearance of a house and the condition of its occupants, 

 and you will get a reply that is just as applicable to the yard. The 

 question now is whether we should attempt to do anything in the im- 

 provement of this area, by the planting of ornamental trees, etc. In 

 the w'hter's estimation, the most ornamental, as w-ell as economical 

 way of arranging the space in the rear of the house, is to plant it 

 systematically with fruit trees and bushes. We are, of course, in- 

 ferring that there is sufficient space here for the growing of some 

 garden fruits and vegetables. The average town lot usually has a 

 more or less limited space for this purpose. If there is time and in- 

 clination on the part of the owner to have a vegetable garden, suffi- 

 cient space must be left for the purpose. If there is more than 

 enough for this, the balance of the ground should not be allowed 

 to grow up to grass and w^eeds, but should either be utilized by grow- 

 ing some of the hardy garden fruits, or else improved by planting 

 some ornamental stock. If the taste of the owner runs more to 

 flowers and plants than to fruit, and flowers are to be planted, the 

 old fashioned flower bed is a feature that can never fail to afford 

 delight to all lovers of flowers. Beds of lilies, pinks and asters along 

 the walks, surrounding the pump, or combined in any of the various 

 ways that might suggest themselves in each individual case, will 

 serve both to keep alive a spirit of cleanliness and order, and also 

 make this part of the yard a frequent resort, where members of the 

 family may enjoy, in seclusion, the beauty of nature's handiwork. 

 This leaves the subject in a practical manner. To consider the 

 improvement of the home grounds from a theoretical or ideal stand- 

 point is to dabble in a question which should really have serious 

 thought. The noble work being inaugurated and accomplished by 

 the women of this century, in their civic leagues, improvement or- 

 ganizations, auxiliaries and other federated bodies, has been a key- 

 note in the beginning of a great and silent revolution, now in the 

 incipient stage of its development. The meaning of that keynote 

 is simply this, that the people, the masses, shall be shown the pos- 

 sibility of surrounding themselves and future generations with what 

 is beautiful and healthful to body and mind, a condition, which, for 

 so many centuries, has been limited to the favored few. They are 

 arousing interest in the great work. Now, it is the duty of our 

 horticultural societies to furnish the corner stone of the temple, which 

 is knowledge of how to turn that interest into practical accom- 

 plishment. 



