CHAPTER XLIX 



SHRUBS, AND HOW TO PLANT THEM 



The owner of a yard, no matter how small it may 

 be, ought to do something toward developing its pos- 

 sibilities. There may be room for only a shrub or two, 

 but this is no reason why the place should be neg- 

 lected. Plant what you have room for. Do what you 

 can to make the place attractive, and the home spirit 

 will do its share in beautifying the spot. The more 

 attention we give the home the more we find in it to 

 love and to work for. 



Every place ought to have at least a few shrubs, 

 because to a great extent, especially in our villages 

 and cities, they must take the place of trees. They 

 have a dignity which the smaller, hardy herbaceous 

 plant does not possess. 



As a general thing they grow into symmetrical 

 shape without much pruning. Many of them have the 

 merit of blooming quite early in the season. All that 

 I shall make mention of in this article are hardy, and 

 all of them can be grown with reasonable certainty 

 of success by anyone who will follow the directions 

 I shall give in planting and caring for them. One 

 strong argument in favor of shrubs is, they are good 

 for years after becoming well established. 



In planting the lawn to shrubs, let me caution 

 you to not make the mistake of putting them too close 

 together. They are small when first put out, there- 

 fore they make but little show, and we get the im 

 pression that a good many are needed, and we set them 

 a few feet apart — possibly ten, but generally less — and 

 the result is that in two or three years we have a mass 



