1900.] essays. 87 



distances over the lawn. Such a place lacks character; no 

 central thought or feeling pervades the whole; it has no ex- 

 pression ; it does not make a picture. Shrubs, like trees, lose 

 none of their individual charm if grouped with others, and by 

 doing so we can obtain the best results. We must always con- 

 sider the place as a whole and not introduce anything to mar the 

 picture, even though it be excellent as a specimen. 



Bailey writes, "More depends upon the positions which 

 plants occupy with reference to each other and to the structural 

 design of the place, than upon the intrinsic merits of the plants 

 themselves." In other words, it makes less difference what we 

 plant than where we plant it. 



THE LAWN. 



The first and most important single feature of our landscape is 

 the lawn. It is the foundation of our work. It is the canvas 

 upon which we are to paint the picture, and our brushes are the 

 trees and shrubs. The lawn should remain intact, so far as pos- 

 sible, and should not be too much cut up by walks and drives, 

 or by planting. In making a permanent lawn the soil must be 

 prepared by deep ploughing, thorough pulverizing and fertiliz- 

 ing, smoothing and rolling. Before we seed it, however, we 

 will mark roughly with a stick or hoe the outlines of the border 

 shrubbery. After border-beds, drives and walks are located, 

 we can seed the lawn, using about four bushels of seed per 

 acre of either the common June grass, Poa pralenis, or tine 

 bent grass, Agrostis canina. It is well to sow a few quarts 

 of timothy seed per acre, to make a show the first year ; it will 

 finally be crowded out by the lawn grass. 



WALKS AND DRIVES. 



Walks and drives are necessary for the sake of convenience, 

 but they are never objects of beauty. But beauty must always 

 yield to convenience, in planning the home grounds, so, in our 

 ideal, let us put the walks and drives just where they will be 

 most convenient and will best serve the purposes for which they 

 are intended, but at the same time, we will have them as incon- 



