igii 



BETTER FRUIT 



Page 2p 



A MAGNIFICEXT SIGHT DURING THE 

 SUMMER IN PORTLAND, OREGON 



It is the desire of most men to have 

 their grounds appear as broad and 

 extensive as conditions will allow. When- 

 ever we introduce into the lawn such 

 things as circular flower beds, rose 

 hedges and other forms of brilliant flow- 

 ering plants we decrease the apparent 

 extent of the area. Locate all herbaceous 

 flowering plants and roses by themselves 

 along the shrubbery border, or possibly 

 near the entrance of the vegetable gar- 

 den. Here they can be well cared for, 

 cut and taken into the house, or allowed 

 to mature and die down without seriously 

 affecting the appearance of the complete 

 picture. 



The use of materials is a complicated 

 subject in itself, and time forbids my 

 taking it up in this article. I would like 

 to say, however, a few words in favor of 

 our native plants. The flora of Oregon 



ALONG THE FRONT PORCH OF A RESIDENCE 

 PORTLAND, OREGON 



is very rich in shrubs and trees of orna- 

 mental value. Among these I might 

 mention Oregon grape, red flowering 

 currant, mock orange, red-twigged dog- 

 wood,, wa.xberry, mountain spray, nine 

 bark, sweet briar rose, azelea, mountain 

 lilac, rhododendron, madrone, chinqua- 

 pin, flowering dogwood, hemlock, cas- 

 cara, numerous conifers and many others. 

 These plants all do well in cultivation 

 and make beautiful specimens, especially 

 when planted quite small. 



So much for what can be done in beau- 

 tifying the home grounds. It is very 

 easy, however, for a lover of plants to 

 seriously' overdo the matter. Do not 

 feel that you must have everything you 

 see to which you take a fancy, and in 

 general it is a good thing to avoid what 

 we call "horticultural freaks." We do not 

 want to make a museum of our home 

 grounds. 



Things brought into close association 

 should be congruous and kindred in 

 character. Rockeries and rustic work too 

 near the home are hardly logical, one 

 suggesting the wild and the picturesque, 

 the other art and the works of man. The 

 \vell known tripod and kettle filled with 



IN A ROSE GARDEN AT PORTLAND, OREGON 



flowers is another example of the incon- 

 gruous. Sea shells for edging flower 

 beds far remo\'ed from the ocean, decay- 

 ing fir stumps in the midst of a well 

 cared for lawn; iron dogs or stags amidst 

 similar surroundings are other irregulari- 

 ties which one so often sees, and which 

 are much better left out of the com- 

 position. 



^luch has been said with a view to 

 urging amateur landscape gardeners to 

 pay more attention to the arrangement 

 of the trees and shrubs on the home 

 ground; to bring them to the point where 

 they will realize that small compositions 

 require just as much study as large ones, 

 and to encourage those who feel that 

 financial conditions bar them from devel- 



HEDGE Ul- ROSES IX I'UKTLANL). OREGON 



oping attractive home grounds. In 

 bringing these remarks to a close I 

 wish to quote Airs, ^^an Rensselaer, one 

 of our most artistic writers on the sub- 

 ject of landscape gardening, presenting 

 for your consideration her idea of the 

 application of the subject under dis- 

 cussion. She says; 



"If now we ask when and where we 

 need the fine art of landscape gardening, 

 must not the answer be; Whenever and 

 wherever we touch the surface of the 

 ground and the plants it bears with the 

 wish to produce an organized result that 

 shall please the eye? The name we usu- 

 alh' apply to it must not mislead us into 

 thinking that this art is needed only for 

 the creation of broad landscape effects. 

 It is needed wherever we do more than 

 grow plants for the money we may save 

 or gain by them. It does not matter 

 v^diether we have in mind a great park or 

 a small city square, a large estate or a 

 modest dooryard. we must go about our 

 work in an artistic spirit if we want a 

 good result. Two trees and six shrubs, 

 a scrap of lawn and a dozen flowering 

 plants may form either a beautiful little 

 picture or a hundred disarra}' of forms 

 and colors." 



^ <S> ^ , . 



Editor Better Fruit: 



In the March number of "Better Fruit" appear 

 two articles giving analyses of some Sherwin- 

 \\'illiams arsenate of lead showing appro.ximately 

 6 per cent arsenic. In each case the arsenate of 

 lead referred to was manufactured early in 1908 

 in order to try out the value of a strictly basic 

 arsenate of lead. It carries an exceptionally high 

 proportion of lead oxide and was too expensive to 

 market regularly and was uncertain as to its toxic 

 action. The SherwinA\"illiams Company never 

 made such a product for sale, but only put it out 

 for experimental work. We regret that your paper 

 is still publishing analyses of material turned out 

 tiiree vears ago for experimental purposes, which 

 does not now and never did represent the output 

 of this company's product. We would appreciate 

 vour publishing the statement in your valued paper 

 that the SherwinAN illiams Company guarantees its 

 arsenate of lead to contain a minimum of 13^ per 

 cent arsenic oxide. Thanking you for publishing 

 this letter, if you can consistently do so, we remain, 

 yours truly. The ShervvinAVilliams Company, 

 Cleveland, Ohio. 



^ ^ ^ 



Editor Better Fruit: 



Enclosed find one dollar. Don't stop sending 

 "Better Fruit." It is the best ever, and is doing 

 a world of good. I am yours truly, J. E. Dow, 

 Deer Island, Oregon. 



