84 HOW TO PLAN THE HOME GROUNDS 



Before passing to the consideration of individual kinds 

 of lawn plants, we will, in view of the strange ignorance 

 or carelessness frequently displayed by those who use 

 plants, give, without making further excuse for discussing 

 so elementary a subject, a brief space to the subject of 

 tree and shrub planting. The less the subject has been 

 rationally considered, the more do people undertake, 

 without proper thought or study, this fundamental pro- 

 cess of the construction of a country place ; and some- 

 times the more gardeners, otherwise skilled, should know 

 about planting as the result of long years of experience, 

 the less ability, whether from actual stupidity or mere 

 carelessness, they display. 



The first mistake of this kind, and the most vital one 

 that is generally made, is in the selection of shade trees. 

 The ideal tree for transplanting is, of course, extremely 

 difficult to find in this country, and is scarce almost every- 

 where, but none the less should we seek to have our trees 

 approximate a high standard in quality and size, for it 

 should be remembered that there is a size that associates 

 itself with the best quality of roots and branches, and 

 which naturally varies almost with each species of tree 

 and shrub. In many cases, people are induced to select 

 small trees when they might easily succeed with larger 

 specimens that would give them quicker effect ; and, on 

 the other hand, trees are often transplanted, as already 

 explained, too large to secure the necessary vitality and 

 vigor of root and branch growth for good ultimate results 

 ten years later. The tree that is moved when large, and 

 without the necessary fibrous roots that are found only 

 with transplanting that has occurred within five or six 

 years, will generally live, but will seldom grow satisfac- 

 torily, and ten years afterward will perhaps show little 



