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NEW ENGLAND FARAfEK. 



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For the yew Eni^land Farmer. 



WHAT A GARDEN SHOULD BE. 



The wi.x>d-cut accoiupunyiiig this article reprc- 

 aents the Buaie plot of groiiiul as did the one 

 in the last week's paper, with this difference, 

 that the former was, as too maay are, inconve- 

 nient and ugly ; the latter is arranged witli an eye 

 to both convenience and beauty. I do not mean 

 to say that many may not criticise the present ar- 

 rangement, but all must admit that the mere lines, 

 irrespective of filling, present more agreeaV)le and 

 harmonious combinations to the educated eye, 

 than those of tlie former plan. Doubtless, it may 

 be said tliat the description accompanying that 

 engraving was unfair, for there, all things are 

 dirty, ill-kept and in confusion, qualifying cir- 

 cumstances whicli would destroy the beauty of 

 any place ; I admit that I did show the dark side, 

 and designrdly, for any one can make sucli allow- 

 ances for tlie better as the more or less manifest ne- 

 cessity of the example before them demands. In 

 the former case we have seen that when the pro- 

 prietor wishetl to take iiis wife to ride, or to 

 church, she must either get in at the barn, or else, 

 after driving out through the gate at the end of 

 the farm road to the front entrance he will tliere 

 take her in ; on iiis return, he will drop her, rain 

 or shine, at the same place, to open the gate, and 

 dodge the drops up the long path, or she must 

 hold his liorse, whilst he opens the great gate, 

 getting out in the b;irn, run for tlie back door. 

 As will be readily seen, the curved road,y, does 

 away with this necessity ; here there is but one 



fate, and from the carriage to either the front or 

 ack door is but a short distance; or should he 

 wish to leave a barrel of flour at the kitchen, it 

 is but a short distance to cai-ry or roll it, without 

 being obliged to cut up the grass. 



So, too, the paths through the garden, to load 

 from the house and barn ; they all bend in such a 

 manner as to offer the readiest means of exit and 

 entrance, without leaving sharp corners to be cut 

 across. 



The long, straight path up to the front door, 

 rendering tlie house and its contents visible each 

 time the door was opened, is gone, and the few 

 trees, indicated, have l)roken off the dii'ect sight 

 from the street, whilst the flower l)eils, h, offer a 

 pleasing object to the eye, when we step out in 

 the cool summer morning to breathe the fresh air, 

 or listen to the birds. To tlio house have been ad- 

 ded the porch and verandahs, 7, affording a cool 

 promenade morning, evening and mid-day, and not 

 only screening the windows from the hot sun, but 

 when festooned with vine8,furnisliingmore beauty 

 than any otlier possible ornament. 



Moreover, verandahs or piazzas, when trelliscd 

 with wood, or better, a cheap arrangement of 

 wire, offer one of the best opportunities for the 

 growth of the grape, giving both beauty and fruit, 

 or the woo<lbine with its ricli sumtner green, and 

 autumn red foliage, or the honeysuckle with its 

 luscious fragrance, or tlie roses of every hue and 

 shape. Where taste has Ixicn developed for such 

 ornaments, and the commoner vines have been 

 used, the Wistaria with its million clusters of 

 purple blossoms, or the strong, sturdy B-jgnonia 

 make a delightful variety. 



The best vines for common use are the grape, 

 (Isabella) the clematis, woodbine, (Ampelopsis,) 



the monthly trumpet honeysuckles, and tlie hardy 

 roses; of one thing there can be no doubt, that 

 for beauty, fragrance, fruit, and immediate orna- 

 ment, the different varieties of vines are unsur- 

 passed. Could I have but one division of ornamen- 

 tal iiegctotion, I should lake vines; and xvhcn vrop- 

 rrly arranged on the house, the dread of injury to 

 the ivood is entirely uvfounded . The entrance gate 

 is carried a little Ijack Irom the roaH, which gives 

 greater esise of access, and admits the tying a 

 horse aside from the street. 



We do away with the pile of manure, altogeth- 

 er, by digging a cellar to the barn, and coyer the 

 small, outside pig-sty, with shrubs and vines ; we 

 also have put some vines about the barn; proba- 

 bly the grape. 



Flower Ixxls, A, are cut out of the grass, and 

 sliould be kept well filled with flowers of a uni- 

 form size and time of flowering ; thcvse directly in 

 front of the house may be planted with a variety 

 of l)ull)s which will ))egin to l)loomas soon as the 

 snow is off (Snowdrops) and end only with the 

 frost ; the interspaces may be filled with annuals, 

 gillyflowers, gilia, mignionottc, &c. The groups 

 d.irectly under the windows are ornamental shrubs; 

 perhaps no more satisfactory outlay can Ive made 

 than in a judicious selection of flowering shrubs ; 

 — get those varieties that will begin to bloom ear- 

 ly (Cydenia,) and leave off late, (Althea ;) get ros- 

 es that do not blossom once only in the season, (old 

 fogies,) but remordents, and pcrpetuals that will 

 flower every month. 



So, too, with flowers ; get perennials as much 

 as possible, and thereby* acoit? /Ae necessity of re- 

 peated plantings: such flowers and shrubs give the 

 greatest amount cf return for the least amount of 

 trouble. The groups of trees, from the middle of 

 the west side.^to the upper corner of the east, 

 should be entirely ornamental, mostly deciduous, 

 but a fair intermixture of evergi'eens ; the best and 

 cheapest Evergreens are Hemlocks and WJiite Pine; 

 one of the most l>eautiful, the Norway Spruce of 

 whose beauty few can have any conception who 

 have not seen it ; — thex\rl)or YittJe is well enough 

 in the shade and as a hedg»3, but never makes a 

 beautiful tree. From the deciduous trees, select 

 those which have the most beauty of spray, other 

 things being equal, for remember you are to see 

 them through winter, and do not care to be look- 

 ing at a lot of stul)lx;d and blunt ends for six 

 months, when you might bo feasting your eyes 

 with the most elegant and graceful coml)inations 

 of buds, twigs and branches; for this, as for many 

 other qualities,the American Elm takes precedence; 

 but be very careful not to scraj^e the bark of your or- 

 namental trees, daubing th-in afterwards ivith any 

 vile combinations of lime, sulphur and mud to kill the 

 bugs, thus destroying one of the chief est beauties cf 

 the trees, without doing any good, and too often 

 causing much injury. In the little green p;itch 

 by the back door may be set one or more orna- 

 mental trees, as a protection to the shed, and a 

 shade to the windows of the l>ack side of the 

 house ; the 8;ime also at the corner of the barn, 

 and in tlie bond of the carriage road opposite. 



In the garden and other unoccupied grounds 

 may be planted all kinds of fruit trees, the more 

 the better, as far as the room ivill permit ; in a 

 small place, dwarf varieties of pear are best for 

 their early maturity ; and as apples occupy a great 

 deal of room, with but comparatively little profit ^ 



