270 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTUR A.L SOCIETY. 



without any coarse grain, and we will have something to mow in 

 good season the following spring. If sowing must be left until 

 spring, it should be done as early as possible, mixing a few oats to 

 help break the crust when the young grass is coming up. Sow 

 about double the quantity you would of ordinary farm grasses, or 

 about half as much as usually recommended in the catalogues. 



The seed should be harrowed in lightly and rolled, if possible. 

 Now, as soon as there is anything to cut, whether weeds, oats or 

 grass, cut it, and continue doing so through the season. Perhaps it 

 has been necessary in preparing our ground to remove some stunted* 

 neglected trees or shrubs. Better to do our work well, even though 

 we have commenced late in life. Good results depend upon 

 thoroughness in the start. 



Next comes arranging of flower beds and planting of trees and 

 shrubs. Do not attempt too much, as it is easier to overdo than 

 undo. Trees we will commence with first, as we must wait longer 

 for results, and, location of these being of prime importance,we wish 

 nothing else in the way of our choice of place. But I had forgotten 

 our driveway. If our approach is at one side of our lawn, it is bet- 

 ter so than to cut our lawn in two, and ma}' give chance, perhaps, for 

 a graceful curve rather than a straight line. Sometiines planting a 

 clump of shrubbery or an evergreen in the bend inay be desirable 

 to make our curve seem a necessity, but often the beauty of the 

 arrangement will be sufficient excuse. 



In planting trees we should always have in mind their probable 

 future dimensions, and we should often plant for ornament more 

 than show, thereb}' needing variety and individual beaut}' of spec- 

 imens. The hackberry is good for ornamental planting; the honey 

 locust is hardy in Wisconsin, and we find it a cleanly, graceful tree; 

 our native larch gives pleasant variety, and nothing is finer than a 

 well grown specimen of our wild black cherry. If we have had 

 opportunity to spare fine specimens of white oak or hickory, we are 

 glad to admire the sturdy grace of the one or the luxuriant dignity 

 of the other. Then we have also to choose from our native birches, 

 the cut-leaved weeping birch, native and European, mountain 

 ash, the Russian golden willow and one or two of the poplars 

 with evergreens in variet3\ For sh,ade and variety this list may be 

 increased with inaples, basswoods and elms. For beautiful speci- 

 mens on the lawn we would commend of evergreens our native 

 hemlock, when well grown, the Colorado blue spruce aud arbor 

 vitces, pyramidal and globosa. 



What possibilities we have with evergreens? With them we may 

 make the home seem sombre, heavy or gloom j', or give touches of 

 summer brightness to the winter scene; furnish back ground to 

 many a living floral picture or even add to the beaut}' of the country 

 landscape, if our situation is sufficiently prominent to be viewed 

 from a distance. And why should we not add to the beauty of 

 country views if, fortunately, we are so situated that we can? And 

 might not communities even, combine their efforts to improve the 

 opportunities which nature has given to add to the beauty of the 

 countryside? In our own county with its many stretches of hill 

 and valley, a few of the early settlers had the good taste to leave 



