ORNAMENTAL TREES AND SHRUBS FOR MONTANA 5 



growth too 'early in the spring, and are frequently injured by the 

 late spring frosts. Plants of this kind should be given such treat- 

 ment that the vegetative growth will be retarded until the liklihood of 

 frost has passed. 



PLANNING THE HOME GROUNDS 



The value of ornamental plants about the home dep'ends not 

 alone upon the number of varieties and their adaptability to the 

 soil and climate, but quite as much upon their arrangement with 

 reference to each other and to buildings, roads, fences, etc. Before 

 any planting is done, an accurate working plan should be made of 

 the grounds, showing the position of all buildings, roads, walks, 

 fences, etc., and the place where all the plants are to be set out. 



The planting plan should also show th'e direction of the views 

 from the house and other vantage points, and the trees so placed 

 that these views will not be obstructed. In locating the position 

 of plants, due attention should be given to their size and appearance 

 after they have reached maturity. Mistakes are often made in plac- 

 ing plants too close together. If trees and shrubs are set too close, 

 and not thinned, they are likely to grow tall and slender and much 

 of their natural beauty will be undeveloped. Under certain condi- 

 tions it is advisable to plant close, with the intention of removing 

 some of the plants as they increase in size. Young plants often 

 need more or less protection ; or quick effects may be desired in 

 the landscape, which can be secured by close planting. In any 

 event the plants should be thinned out, as they increase in size and 

 require more room. 



There are two general methods of planning landscapes, known 

 as the natural method and the geometrical or artificial method. In 

 the United States the natural method is more generally used and 

 is the better method to follow in making landscapes in Montana. 

 The plants are so arranged that they appear as nature would have 

 placed them. In the artificial method the plants are arranged in 

 geometrical figures, straight lines, or regular curves, and the plant- 

 ing does not conform at all to that found in nature. 



Under ordinary conditions the best results will follow when 

 the plants are grouped along the borders of the lawn, in curves or 

 bends of roads and walks, or massed in the background. In select- 



