56 Farmers' Bulletin 1087. 



texture should also be gradual. The more unusual the characters of 

 a plant the greater is the need for carefully placing it where it will 

 be most pleasing. 



Plants selected for home-ground ornamentation should be hardy 

 in the region, should be comparatively free from attacks by insects 

 and diseases, should have a reasonable quantity of foliage that is not 

 liable to drop from slightly adverse conditions, especially weather 

 conditions, and should be of the proper size, habit, and texture for 

 the location; that is, where a tall upright shrub is needed a tall 

 spreading one should not be used. Most of the planting should be 

 of comparatively few kinds, although a few specimens of unusual 

 sorts will give variety and add a certain amount of interest. The 

 characters of plants that make them valuable for adornment arc 

 (1) foliage, (2) winter effect, and (3) flowers. The importance 

 of foliage is due to its permanency, lasting from five months to a 

 year, depending on the type of plant, the latitude, and the elevation, 

 while the period of bloom is short, usually not more than two 

 weeks. 



Next to foliage in importance comes the winter effect. Taking 

 the United States as a whole the average time that deciduous plants 

 are without foliage is at least five months. During this period the 

 farm home is occupied as continuously as in summer, and the sur- 

 roundings should be as attractive as possible. Evergreen shrubs, 

 both coniferous and broad leaved, maintain a color throughout the 

 winter not otherwise obtained. Used in moderation, they are a dis- 

 tinct addition at this sedson. On the other hand, many deciduous 

 shrubs have attractive winter characters, the most striking being 

 bright-colored berries. Then there are barks of many shades of 

 brown and gray, with some of bright red, green, and yellow, that if 

 properly arranged make pleasing contrasts and add to the winter 

 beauty. The short blooming period of the averag shrub makes 

 flowers the least important of the characters to be considered. In 

 spite of this the color, character, and time of blooming should be 

 considered as well as the behavior of the dying flowers, whether or 

 not they fade to a conspicuous and undesirable color and hang on 

 unduly or pass away without a distinctly unsightly stage. 



The different kinds of plants should be selected so that they will 

 give bloom through as much of the season as practicable, thus afford- 

 ing something of special interest as continuously as possible. The bulk 

 of the planting, however, should be of a few species. Eight to a 

 dozen kinds are enough for an ordinary place. With this small 

 number, selected as far as practicable to bloom at different seasons, 

 there is little danger of getting color combinations that will not har- 

 monize. Where especially bright colors are selected, others should 

 not be chosen for growing next to them during the same season unless 



