HOME SURROUNDINGS. 167 



A case in point is that of a neighbor who, twelve years 

 ago, in a country then unsettled, planted orange and lemon 

 trees and built his house in the midst of them. For years 

 past those trees have been crowding the house, so that it 

 is entirely hidden save the roof, their branches rubbing 

 against the walls, reaching through the open windows and 

 so shutting out sunshine and air that now it has become 

 imperative either to remove the too vigorous trees or build 

 a new house further out in the one only direction left un- 

 occupied by them, and the latter has been chosen as the 

 lesser evil. 



Forty feet is quite near enough to set an orange or lemon 

 tree to one's house ; nearer will surely be repented of sooner 

 or later, and then the trees, bearing by that time, will have 

 to be moved and all profit from them lost for several years 

 to come, and only those who have tried it can .tell the im- 

 mense amount of courage required to move a bearing tree. 

 In point of fact, we would advise setting no lemon or 

 orange trees near the house at all, unless it were a few 

 scattering ones of the Tangierine orange, which is partic- 

 ularly ornamental in shape and fruit. 



We would inclose a half acre or so in a neat fence sur- 

 rounding the home, and lay it all out in walks, a carriage- 

 drive circling around the dwelling, and in Bermuda or 

 other lawn-grass. 



Then here and there we would have clumps of Texas 

 China umbrella trees, mulberry trees, Russian preferred, 

 Japanese persimmons, Japan plums or medlars, and a live- 

 oak or two. 



One or two rustic summer-houses and a few stumps, some 

 low, some tall, covered with cypress, thunbergias, yellow 

 jessamines, coral honey suckles or Virginia creepers, would 

 complete as beautiful, home-like a spot as one could find 

 any where. 



