76 FAULTS TO AVOID, 



first, that excessive planting is almost as certain to be indulged 

 in, as excessive eating by one who has long fasted. A dozen 

 varieties of trees, and scores of shrubs, each of which has a special 

 and familiar beauty, call winningly to the planter, " choose me !" 

 If he good-naturedly yields to every beauty's beckoning, he finds, 

 too late, that in trying to please all he has satisfied none, and 

 perhaps done injustice to all. Crowded together more and more 

 as they grow, each will hide the beauty of the other, and only 

 darken the ground they were intended to adorn. A single native 

 tree, growing alone, or, if the ground be very small, a single full- 

 grown shrub, with room and soil enough to give luxuriant develop- 

 ment of all its beauty, will do more, far more, to beautify one's 

 home, than the finest variety of trees, growing together like an 

 overgrown nursery. Yet, in planting a small lot, where no trees 

 are already grown, those who love variety must be chary of plant- 

 ing even one full-sized tree. Eugene Baumann, of Rahway, N. J., 

 one of the few thoroughly cultivated garden artists in this country, 

 in alluding to the folly of planting large trees at all in small lots, 

 very happily illustrates its absurdity by likening it to the choice of a 

 table for a small drawing-room, the four corners of which would 

 touch the four walls. Few persons realize the rapidity with which 

 trees grow and time flies ; and in planting are pretty sure, after a 

 few years, like the Vicar of Wakefield, to find their sylvan family- 

 pictures too big for the room. 



Let it, then, be borne in mind that the smaller the lot, the 

 smaller should be the materials used to adorn it. For city fronts of 

 from 10 x 20 feet to a few rods in area, the arts of gardening will 

 take an architectural direction, so that cut-stone walks, bordered 

 with bedding plants and low annuals, and well-placed and well- 

 filled vases, will be the only form in which vegetable beauties can 

 be introduced. For places of a rood in extent, (we mean only 

 the space devoted to decorative planting), a lawn will be essen- 

 tial ; and there may be introduced many shrubs as well as flowers ; 

 but trees sparingly, if at all. Of architectural or constructive 

 decorations, there will be room for considerable expenditure, and 

 more discretion. Only on places having upwards of half an acre 

 devoted to ornamental keeping, ought trees which attain large size 



