10 



View. 



The use of vines for draping the house, especially the porch 

 or piazza, is the most common form of home adornment in 

 America. The average farm home would be bare indeed 



34 without Virginia creeper, morning-glories, and nasturtiums. 

 This picture shows a grapevine that not only adds greatly to 

 the appearance of the house, but also contributes to its supply 

 of healthful fruit. 



Grapes should be cultivated for decorative purposes much 

 more than they are. 



WHAT TO PLANT. 



The preceding slides have given a few suggestions about 

 where to plant, which is of much greater importance than the 

 selection of the particular kinds to be used. On nearly every 

 farm it is possible to grow an almost infinite variety of plants; 

 the question is which ones are best, because only a few can be 

 planted. It is impossible to give a list of plants that would 



35 be generally successful in all parts of the country. Here, for 

 example, is a home in southern Florida. These coconut palms, 

 which are so attractive in that semitropical climate, would not 

 be very successful in Michigan. Consult the horticulturist of 

 your State experiment station for lists of plants especially 

 adapted for certain sections. A few general suggestions, how- 

 ever, may help the home maker in making his own selection. 



(1) Plant chiefly the trees, shrubs, vines, and flowers that 

 are known to thrive in your locality without special care. A 

 few novelties and exotics can be coddled, perhaps, but the 

 main body of the planting should be of tried and proved sorts. 

 This means that neighborhood experience is the best guide. 

 It also means that you will be most apt to be successful with 

 the kinds that are native to your own part of the country. 

 This is especially true of trees and shrubs. Do not look too 

 long upon the glowing colors and fascinating descriptions of 

 the novelties in the seedsman's catalogue. Those kinds noted 

 as "Too well known to need description" are much more apt 

 to please you than the more expensive novelties. 



36 (2) Do not plant many cut-leaved, variegated, weeping, 

 and other unusual and striking plants. Most of the trees and 

 shrubs should be the kinds common to the neighborhood, with 

 perhaps a very few specimens of the curiosities. 



37 (3) Do not plant many of the quick-growing, and therefore 

 cheap looking, trees, like the poplars, willows, white maples, 

 and box elders. A few of these can be used to advantage to 

 secure quick results, but they should be interspersed with 



No. 14 



