THE COUNTRY HOME [CHAPTER 
ten-acre homestead may easily have devoted an 
acre, or even two acres, to selected trees, either at 
the front of the house or flanking the front. An 
English homestead is generally open toward the 
street, while the drives approach through border- 
ing shrubbery, or under trees. Our American 
landscape, with more slopes and hills, gives us 
greater opportunities for broader views over val- 
leys, so that a street front is not so essential. If 
you have but two or three acres, or if you are a 
truck farmer, needing economy in the use of land, 
still plant a half-dozen fine trees before your cot- 
tage —a beech grove, perhaps, or a group of lin- 
dens, or a grove of maples. An orchard neatly 
kept is just the thing; only, I am afraid, it will 
sadly fail of proper care. The awful neglect and 
the abuse that apple trees undergo make it dan- 
gerous to recommend them for a front lawn. 
The laying out of a tree lawn must not be al- 
lowed to depend altogether on your taste, for it is 
this laying out of your home that is going to create 
a better taste. Especially do not mistake a mere 
greedy desire for trees as a safe guide. ‘There are 
really no sights in America more unpleasant than 
the front lawns of our average country homes. 
[86] 
