January, 1907 



AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 



39 



in structure, but ample; and to let in just as much of out- 

 doors as possible. It was, in fact, a sort of outdoors house 

 that we proposed to build. And this was what we did build. 

 A true country house should not have any back side to it, but 

 should be equally attractive on all sides; for this reason you 

 would hardly recognize any one side of this homestead as the 

 front. 



The gardens that we planted were first of all to supply a 

 large and adequate supply of crops for home use. If in time 

 a surplus occurred, we intended to find a market. In reality 

 a surplus did occur about three years from planting. It be- 

 gan with the strawberry crop, soon extended to the rasp- 

 berries; then to the cherries and plums, and finally took 

 in pears and apples. In planting a country-home garden, it 

 is well to begin with a rather free planting of the raspberry. 

 As this berry can not be shipped to a distance, it can hold the 

 home market. We have found the currant also to be a very 

 good home-market fruit. There is never a glut in sour 

 cherries, and it is advisable to add to these only strawberries 

 enough to supply nearby customers. This rule does not 

 apply where one is in possession of property peculiarly 

 adapted to this berry; that is, low-lying land, easily irrigated. 

 Our gardens were for experiment as well as cropping; 

 and such experiments have been carried on from the begin- 

 ning. Among the results are a currant standing seven feet 

 high, and bearing fruit equal to Fay; that is, a bush one- 

 third larger than any of the best varieties. Another currant 

 of fine quality holds its fruit until November. Other 

 products are too numerous to be specified In this place. 



In order that experimental work might be more successful, 

 a laboratory was built, as well as a shop, in connection with 

 the barn. Home education naturally became a part of the 

 program. Botany, geology, ornithology, and particularly 

 entomology, are essential parts of farm-life. Where tutors 

 can be obtained education may be almost entirely without 

 the aid of public schools. This, however, is the exception. 

 At all events let these home sciences find their place. 

 Otherwise a country home is not either appreciated or 

 comprehended. A knowledge of insects, bees, and birds is 

 quite as essential as a knowledge of cows and horses. 

 Our country-home makers must be waked up to comprehend 

 this fact. 



The orchard I have mentioned as including some very old 

 trees. But these had begun to pass away, and must be 

 steadily replaced. We have at present over eighty varieties 

 of apples yielding three hundred and fifty barrels a year. This 

 does not include the drops which go to cider. The shop 

 holds, when needed, a small cider-press, capable of making a 

 fine item of income out of what would otherwise be largely 

 waste. A country home should arrange its orchard-trees 

 so that there should be a complete succession of apples 

 through the whole year. We begin with Yellow Trans- 

 parent in July, and end up with Pippins and Russets in June 

 — leaving scarcely a gap without apples. The same is true 

 of pears; the Rostiezer opening the year in July, and Patrick 

 Barry closing it about the first of June. 



Flowers for a country home ought to be those most easily 

 cultivated, and those not making too much winter care for 

 protection. I recommend above everything else a good- 

 sized shrubbery. This can completely surround the house, 



provided the house be far back from the street; or it can 

 flank it — preferably to the east. Such a shrubbery would 

 make a specialty of native sorts, and provide itself liberally 

 with lilacs, syringas, and other varieties of shrubs bearing 

 sweet flowers. It is worth a good deal to a house to have the 

 gentle summer breezes waft in a plenty of ozone. But at 

 the present time any country home can, at small cost, pro- 

 vide itself with blossoming shrubs through the whole sea- 

 son. Of course, a rose garden is a necessity. It should be 

 located where it can be cultivated with a plow. It must be 

 manured heavily, and can be provided with varieties that 

 will not need much winter protection. I have not found any 

 flower more satisfactory for a country home than the tulip. 

 These multiply very rapidly. I have them pushed into the 

 strawberry rows, where they blossom by the acre; the flowers 

 being gone, and even the stalks, before we begin picking the 

 berries. Gorgeous lilies, including madonna and lancifol- 

 ium, may be had by the thousand without much labor. The 

 gladiolus makes another good plant, as the bulbs can be 

 set in where there is but little space to spare. But be careful 

 about trying too many annuals and biennials that must be 

 grown from seed. 



We occupy nine acres and of these nearly one-half is de- 

 voted mainly to tree lawns, shrubberies, and flowers. In 

 these lawns there are, however, some fruit trees. We sell 

 of strawberries less than fifty dollars a year; of currants 

 about two hundred dollars' worth; from red raspberries and 

 a few black ones we take over three hundred dollars per 

 year; from blackberries about two hundred dollars. Cher- 

 ries and plums will net a surplus of one hundred, pos- 

 sibly one hundred and fifty. Having reduced our pear 

 orchard by sale of land, the surplus for market will not ex- 

 ceed seventy-five dollars. From bees we secure about five 

 hundred pounds per year; of this we sell three hundred 

 pounds, at the maximum. The item for eggs, broilers, etc., 

 will not exceed fifty dollars. The surplus sale of apples, in- 

 cluding cider and vinegar, reaches about four hundred dol- 

 lars, and is constantly increasing. This is a max'mum state- 

 ment, and must be taken with this consideration, that every 

 year notes that failure, or partial failure, of two or three 

 crops. In other words we average a sale, beyond all that 

 we eat, of about twelve hundred dollars. That is to say that 

 we have a beautiful country home; and it pays. The ex- 

 penses of such a home, of course, vary according to the 

 family and its habits. 



I have not hesitated to use my own experience by way of 

 evidence. Such a place as described can not be recommended 

 as possible for those who will not be alert, and whose educa- 

 tion has come short of educating the will; much less can it 

 be recommended to any one who wishes simply to be fed by 

 nature, without attentive labor. Such a spot excludes all 

 thought of rental and tenancy; conferring upon itself that 

 glorious title "home" — a permanent abiding-place, where 

 the soul may grow and twine its tentacles about every tree, 

 and a thought about every growth. The drift country- 

 ward is now met by the trolley, the rural free mail-delivery 

 and the telephone. These give to the farmer all the ad- 

 vantages of city life and something over. We shall prob- 

 ably see all of our hills covered with such hippy homes, and 

 a suburbanism covering the whole land. 



