THE HOME AND ITS SURROUNDINGS. 387 



are growing; but they should be removed as soon as they can 

 be spared. 



For a temporary shade there is no better tree than the soft 

 HIM pie, as it has a dense foliage and makes a rapid growth. If 

 trees of this variety three inches in diameter are carefully 

 transplanted and well cultivated, they will afford a fine shade 

 in three years. I planted a group of these trees in the spring of 

 1877, grown from seed planted in 1871, and in August of 1883 the 

 largest one, three feet from the ground, measured twenty-five 

 inches in circumference, and several others were nearly as large. 

 The objection to this tree for permanent shade is that the wood is 

 so soft that it is liable to be broken by winds which would do no 

 damage to many others. It is also subject to a bursting of the 

 bark on the south-west side, caused probably by the sun shining 

 on it when frozen, and it is rare to find a tree with a smooth, 

 perfect trunk. These imperfections make it more liable to be 

 broken by the wind. The trees which I prefer to all others for 

 shade are the elm, hard maple, and ash. I put the elm first on 

 account of its rapid growth, its elasticity and toughness, and its 

 grace and beauty of contour. One need not fear the loss of his 

 elm trees by any ordinary wind, for nothing short of a hurricane 

 will injure them. The hard maple is worthy of a place in every 

 farm yard, as it is unsurpassed in the beauty of its autumn 

 foliage, and possesses also the merits of durability, compactness, 

 symmetry of shape, and density of foliage. The ash possesses 

 all the good qualities of the maple, and as its prevailing autumn 

 color is yellow, it forms a fine contrast with the scarlet of the 

 maples. The catalpa and linden are also valuable trees for shade, 

 and when in bloom present a beautiful appearance. 



Where the grounds are large enough to allow of it, there is 

 nothing gives a better effect than a small forest planted in imita- 

 tion of nature. This forest may be made up of the varieties 

 above named, or it may contain specimens of all the varieties 

 which grow in the locality. 



I would never plant evergreens in the front yard or near the 

 house. The only use for which I would recommend them is for 

 wind-breaks and screens, planted at some distance from the 



