^^^; 





Useful Trees and Plants That Do Not 



Bear Fruit 



This title is preferable to the word "Ornamentals," because these trees are useful in so many ways. 

 All the better homes in this country owe half their improvement to the planting about them, because of 

 the setting given the house, the protection afforded in summer and winter, and the sense of "home" added 

 by the growing things that no house can furnish of itself. 



In caring for these trees and watching them grow to full size and beauty, grown-ups and children 

 learn to value their home more than they possibly could without having helped make it what it is. Children 

 are taught lessons of neatness and thriftiness simply by helping to care for a hedge each year. The shade 

 of Maples and the dark corners under evergreens are never forgotten by people who in childhood played 

 and lived under the trees. So it goes, the more we examine into the reasons we love our homes, the more we 

 must give credit to the growing things we cared for and perhaps unconsciously enjoyed. 



Home plantings can be divided into four classes — evergreens, shade trees, hedges and shrubs. Bear 

 in mind that you want some of each class to make your planting complete. You should have a half-dozen 

 or more maples or similar trees about the borders of your lawn, and enough more to line both sides of the 

 road or lane. Then there should be an evergreen windbreak of Norway Spruce or some of the large Pines 

 toward the side of the prevailing wind. It is well, also, to have a shelter of big evergreens near the house. 

 Such a group of trees is wonderfully attractive in both summer and winter. It can be made by using a col- 

 lection of the larger-growing evergreens — Blue Spruces, Pines, Firs and Hemlocks. Stock-yards and barns 

 always should be protected by evergreen breaks. You will not know the value of this till you see how com- 

 fortable it is behind the thick green trees when a winter storm howls down from the West or North. 



As for hedges, they can be of every height, up to 12 or 15 teet. They will fence, they will screen, or not 

 screen, as preferred, they will mark boundaries, and they 

 will be attractive and useful in more ways than you can 

 think of before you have them. On farms there is no excuse 

 for any more wire or wooden fences about the house. Plant 

 California Privet or Arborvitse, Norway Spruce or Hemlock, 

 and have a live fence that will last for generations. 



Shrubs are useful close up to the foundations of 

 buildings, or under the edges of evergreens, etc. Plant 

 them so their branches and flowers will appear against a 

 darker background. Do not scatter them too much — better 

 make groups in corners out of the way, or single shrubs at 

 either side of the entrance. 



SHADE TREES AND HEDGE PLANTS 



Plant shade trees away from the house. That is, put 

 them about the edges of the lawn or yard, far enough apart 

 to give them a chance to develop their own particular sort 

 of crowns. A line of them along both sides of the lane or 

 a drive always is a good thing. They should give protection 

 to a well or spring, and if you can arrange a comfortable 

 nook in some corner, with some trees, a bank of earth and 

 a bench, you will have done something well worth while. 

 In the East it is nearly always desirable to plant some decid- 

 uous trees with the evergreens in a windbreak or shelter- 

 belt, because of the fine contrast the light-colored bark and 

 twigs make against the dark green foliage in winter. There 

 are a hundred different combinations of evergreens, shade 

 trees, hedges and shrubs. While you can put up a house 

 and live in it till the end of your days without planting a 

 single tree or bush, yet you hardly will know what home is 

 till you have cared for these growing things, and have 

 watched them get larger and more perfect as they make 

 your home more livable. 



Privet and evergreen hedges are indispensable. You 

 can have them tall, as a screen and a fence, or low, to 

 fence and yet not hide the view. Such fences are easier to 

 keep up than fences of wire or wood, and are permanent. 

 California Privet, Arborvitae and other hedge material in 

 their classes never will grow straggly or ill-kept, even if 

 neglected, yet will stand shearing perfectly. Because the 

 Privet fences are so easy to keep up, they make practical 

 field fences, turning stock, adding to the looks and hence to 

 the value of the farm, and are in all ways satisfactory. 

 See pages 46 and 47 for evergreen hedge trees. 



39 



Hedges and trees greatly increase the value of 

 properties 



