FOR FARM AND HOME PLANTING 



23 



Third, plantings should be massed about the base of the buildings, 

 grouped about the junctions or curves in the walks, massed about the 

 boundaries and corners of the property but not usually along the front 

 boundary of the property. 



When arranged in this way, an open lawn bounded with naturalistic 

 plantings of shrubbery and trees will be the general effect. 



In arranging these plantings, they may perform other desirable func- 

 tions also. They may be arranged to shelter the house from the winter 

 storms and the summer heat, or to frame desirable vistas and thus accen- 

 tuate their attractiveness. Masses of shrubs may be used to take the 



place of an undesirable fence or 

 hedge. They may be planted to 

 prevent people from wearing paths 

 across the lawns and to unify the 

 walks, buildings and other elements 

 of the grounds into one harmonious 

 design. 



How to Plant. The planting 

 should be done early enough in the 

 spring so that the shrubs will be 

 well established before the heat 

 and drought of summer overtakes 

 them. In preparing the beds, they 

 should be dug to a depth of a foot 

 or more and well manured. The 

 distance of setting them depends 

 largely upon the size of their 

 growth. Japanese barberries 

 should be planted two feet apart, 

 spireas three and one-half feet 

 and lilacs about four to five feet. 

 In three years, when set at these 

 distances, the branches should be so intermingled that their individuality 

 in the beds is lost and a unified mass effect produced. In transplanting, 

 keep the roots moist and prevent them from being exposed to the sun and 

 wind any longer than necessary. Set the plants slightly deeper than they 

 stood in the nursery and pack the best fine soil firmly about the outspread 

 roots. If the soil is dry, water after planting. It will help to compact the 

 soil about the roots and keep them moist. The tops may then be pruned 

 back to balance the loss of roots, leaving a few large buds on each of the 

 strongest shoots. 



WHAT VARIETIES TO SELECT 



Shrubs 



The choice of varieties is perplexing because there are so many 

 handsome shrubs all of which seem most desirable to the home gar- 

 den maker. A few of the good old standbys that are handled by every 

 nurseryman and sold by the millions, that are sure to give one his 

 money's worth and are safest for the beginner to tie to are given in the 

 following list. 



Spireas. First of all there is the bridal wreath spirea, Spiraea Van- 

 houttei, the most popular spring flowering shrub. Its remarkable freedom 



Shrubs planted in the corners of the entrance 

 porch generally prove effective. 



