142 An Old-fashioned Garden 



is the climbing bittersweet (Celastrus scan- 

 dens). The plant itself is attractive. Its 

 vigorous growth soon covers the support 

 provided for it, and in autumn and through- 

 out the winter its golden and crimson fruit 

 hangs in thick-set clusters upon every branch. 



Considering how frequently near the house 

 there are unsightly objects, and how depress- 

 ing it is to be forever looking upon ugliness, 

 it is strange that the abundant means for 

 beautifying waste places are so persistently 

 neglefted. With one or more of the plants 

 I have named, an eyesore may be changed to 

 a source of pleasure, and it was Beecher, I 

 think, who said, " A piece of color is as use- 

 ful as a piece of bread." He never spoke 

 more truly. 



And what of the old-time arbors, with the 

 straggling grape-vine, and perhaps a rude 

 wren-box perched at the entrance ? Is there 

 better shade than the grape-vine offers, a 

 sweeter odor than its bloom affords, or more 

 charming music than the song of the restless 

 house-wren ? Certainly there have been no 

 improvements upon these features of the old- 

 time garden : yet how seldom do we see 

 them now ! We must travel far, too, to 



