MAY 43 
THE RURAL WEW-YORKER. 
WOODLAND LAWNS. 
- 1 • 
S. PARSONS, JR. 
The meauiug of the term lawn, in the com¬ 
mon acceptation of the word, is an artificially 
constructed pleasure ground about the house. 
The cultivated grounds of a certain character 
are called glades and meadows, but hardly 
lawns, although doubtless we find in corners 
and outskirts of woods what should be de¬ 
scribed if described aright, as genuine, artis¬ 
tic lawns wrought by the uutrammoled hand 
of Nature’s self. 
So far from any such idea governing the 
ordinary mind, however, the common type of 
lawn must apparently be, not only in reality 
artificial, but most evidently and prominently 
artificial. There must, to suit the average 
man, be level surfaces, nicely trimmed trees 
and a display of expense and prettiness and 
sham elegance that is not even symmetrical and 
geometrical in design, and yet is far enough 
removed from the lovely naturalness of the 
woodland glade or undulating meadow. In 
short, people generally recognize no governing 
principle whatever in constructing a lawn. 
To possess good roads and good turf is about 
the extent of any clearly defined principle of 
the kind they may have. That lawn-making 
implies a definite artistic design, a taking ad¬ 
vantage of, and improving on, existing natu¬ 
ral advantages seems never to have occurred 
to them. But the natural advantages alone 
are never sufficient. One would not care to 
build a homestead directly in the midst of a 
primeval forest, yet the glade and the mea¬ 
dow and the outskirts of woodland remain, 
nevertheless, the only true type and source 
from which lawn- planting theories can 1)6 de¬ 
rived. The lawn-plauter may not and should 
not undertake to exactly reproduce nature in 
every detail, yet, none the Jess, must he exer¬ 
cise “ an art which does mend nature, but the 
art itself is nature.” 
This brings me to the definite consideration 
of my subject. The dwelling-house is often, 
and should be more often, erected within the 
compass of a bit of natural woodlaud. The 
temptation to utilize the presence of fine na¬ 
tive trees for the purposes of shade and pro¬ 
tection from cold wind as well as for orna¬ 
ment, very properly offers great attractions. 
The question then is, with your woodland 
all about you, how is the lawn to be made ? 
Most people look at their groves thus situated 
as sacred, or if they cut, they cut tentatively 
here and there without either bold or careful 
method and the result is dark, gloomy sur¬ 
roundings, numerous dead leaves, and dreary, 
sombre days. The first thing to do, of course, 
is to look for a key-note, as it were, of the 
proposed lawn, the very best and noblest tree 
trunk of them all, for mere excellent foliage 
is nothing without an interesting stem. This 
best tree specimen—or specimens, for there 
may be more than one—once found, the next 
step is to work from the key-note or rallying 
point outward by cutting down even excellent 
tress and shrubs in order to let in the blessed 
light of heaven and free the monarchs of the 
lawn from darkening, crowding and dwarf¬ 
ing influences. Look out in selecting the site 
for the house that such a specimen as is shown 
in the foreground of the illustration (Fig. 142) 
does not huppen to come directly in front of 
and close to the house, rendering it necessary 
to decide whether to save the tree and darken 
the house or to brighten the house and destroy 
the tree. Should you be caught on the horns 
of such a dilemma, 1 think it would be right 
to choose the lesser evil and take down the 
tree. Sunlight is too precious both for health 
and eu joy ment to be exchanged for the very 
noblest tree that ever spread abroad majestic 
boughs. I say, this, though fully impressed 
with the unsurpassed {esthetic value of one 
such tree, whether it be a smooth-branched, 
elegant, glossy-leaved hickory, rugged, grand 
old oak, or perfect beech with carved and 
sculptured stem and boughs and strangely 
pleasant shape of foliage. 
But we will assume that the house is placed 
on one side or away entirely from the precious 
specimen—what next after cutting out in¬ 
ferior growth, and letting daylight in around 
the tree? Why, simply to go on cutting, and 
cut out far and wide until a broad expanse 
of glade is opened in front of everything. 
Here, then, rich, meadow grass can flourish, 
flowers successfully bloom in broad sunlight, 
and a few shrubs aud vinos, contrived to look 
us if they just happened there, occupy the 
curves of the one road that merely skirts the 
bouudury woodland. Nooks and corners in¬ 
numerable in the neighborhood of these 
akirtiug woods, can be filled with shrubs and 
hardy wild flowers of all kinds, and the native 
woodland look be retained without a flaw. 
But the simple and imperative demands of a 
lawn require that the rich and ample spread 
of open middle greensward, where breeze, 
sunlight and shadow disport themselves, be 
left untouched, except perhaps by the pres¬ 
ence of some grand single specimen on its 
outer parts. 
Along the roadside fence, about the gates 
or on either boundary line such scenes as are 
depicted in the illustration (Fig. 142) should 
be carefully preserved and underbrush cleared 
out to show in full relief the effect of fine tree- 
truuks ranged one behind the other. Shrub¬ 
bery may be planted, or left, if already ex¬ 
isting, as background along the boundaries 
and about inferior trees, otherwise such 
planting should be almost hidden in nooks 
and corners and never in any case allowed to 
cluster up the place in an obtrusively artifi¬ 
cial manner, nor to obscure the full display 
of fine trees and stretch of greensward. 
All these directions may imply, it will 
be noticed, much or little work in the 
way of planting, just as the case may be, 
but they invariably imply the most careful 
consideration for the well being of fine single 
specimens and open greensward. They imply, 
indeed, bold cutting, but they sacrifice the 
lesser trees as the only way to secure the 
healthy development and satisfactory display 
of some one or more specimens the value of 
which are priceless on any lawn. 
ittiscelLaivfoiis. 
RURAL BRIEFLETS. 
A friend told us a few days ago that in 
order to put a stop to the depredations of 
moles, he sunk 12 inch planks about his straw¬ 
berry patch. This proved to be effectual as 
against the moles. But the plants died 
though the bed was but two years old. U pon 
digging them up to ascertain the cause it was 
found that white grubs (larvae of the May- 
Beetle) had destroyed them. We have ti-ore 
than once in our own experience bad r emn 
to believe that moles are under the gre nd 
what birds are above, aud that we can not 
exterminate or drive them away without in 
the place of their annoying ravages incur¬ 
ring the greater iujury effected by the insects 
of various kinds upon which they feed. 
Of pumpkins the Large Cheese is the best 
for family use. The Connecticut Field is best 
for cattle, and the Improved Mammoth it 
best if we want to rahe 250-pound pumpkins. 
Probably the Connecticut Field is the best 
kind to grow in corn-fields... 
We fiad the following in the Cincinnati 
(O.) Gazette of April 19: “A youthful 
friend has put a few pounds of Blount’s Pro¬ 
lific Six-eared Corn in our hands, to dispose of 
for him, to those who may wish to start a lit¬ 
tle for seed. Hi* price is 40 cents per pound 
for shelled corn, and postage.’’ A bushel of 
com in Ohio weighs 56 pounds; so that this 
com sells at the rate of $22.40 a bushel!.... 
Oub Broadway contemporary thinks that 
Pyrethrum seeds may fail in the open ground 
—we mean those of roseurn or cineranefoli um, 
from the flowers of which the so-called Per¬ 
sian Insect Powder is made. It also advises 
covering the plants at the approach of Win¬ 
ter with marsh hay or other litter to keep 
them from being drawn out by freezing and 
thawing. Both suggestions are useless. The 
seed germinates in the open ground as readily 
as cabbage seed, and the plants need no cov¬ 
ering. We have them growing in sandy and 
clayey soils; in dry and wet places, and they 
are now thrifty and well advanced. 
Tn £ Early Ohio, grown in the sandy soil 
of L n? Island, is at least one week earlier 
than the Early Rose—earlier than the Beauty 
of E ebron. It is, in short, the earliest of any 
potato which is at the same time of good 
qualily and fairly productive. The tubers 
are of medium size—never large with us; the 
vines low. They rarely bloom. Considering 
its e&rliness and general good qualities, the 
Early Ohio, is not planted as much as it should 
be. It has never been extensively advertised, 
and hence has had to work its own way to 
public favor. It is a seedling of Early Rose.... 
One of our first chemical fertilizer firms 
reply as follows to a question of ours sb to 
how much potato fertilizer may safely be 
sown in the drills to the act e, the pieces of po¬ 
tatoes being first covered with the soil. “ It 
would be a good plan to put the potato fer¬ 
tilizers under the pieces in the drill and run 
a small plow or cultivator through the drill, 
if the drills are 2)4 f eet apart, then one ounce 
(scattered for 2}$' feet) would take 438 pounds 
to the acre: 1.37-100 ounce (scattered 2}4 feet) 
wouldtake 600 pounds. The latter quantity well 
scattered over a light covering of soil should 
do no harm, the smaller quantity (one ounce, 
handful) would be sufficient together with 
broadcast application—two to three bags (200 
pounds each) additional can be used broad¬ 
cast. I believe in broadcasting all the ma¬ 
nure very heavily—five to eight bags per acre 
for potatoes and none in the drill. Potato 
roots now tend to stay in the drill because 
the manure is there. 
A friend planted his peas last Fall. They 
have apoeared above ground as well as if 
sown two weeks ago... 
M. W. J. writes us from Atlanta, Ga.:—“In 
the Rural of April 1, an illustration of what 
is called Bermuda Grass is given ; and in the 
remarks concerning this grass it is stated that 
seeds of it had also been found, etc. Now lam 
satisfied, Mr. Editor, that you very probab ly 
have never seen a true specimen of Bermuda 
Grass, such as is generally grown in this 
neighborhood. The illustration given does 
not represent true Bermuda by a great deal; 
but it is evidently a much coarser and rougher 
grass and appears to be what is known here as 
Joint Grass. Bermuda tassels or blooms 
something on the order of Indian corn, but 
has never been known to seed, and is propa¬ 
gated only from roots. It is highly impor¬ 
tant that the public should know this." If 
our friend will pull up roots and stems of the 
Bermuda Grass ani compare them with our j 
engraving, he will find his mistake. We did 
not show many of the finer leaves. He may ' 
After Scott’s Suburban Home. — Fig, 142. 
After Scott’s Suburban Home.—Fig. 143. 
rest assured we have made no mistake. As to 
its seeding, it is well-known that it rarely if 
ever produces seeds in this country. Our 
seedsmen have supposed that seeds were not 
procurable. We have no doubt that the seeds 
which the Rural alluded to are true. The 
grass is now two inches high and we shall 
soon be enabled to settle the point for a cer¬ 
tainty, We have seen Bermuda Grass near 
Augusta, Ga., which could differ little from 
that in his neighborhood. 
> ♦ » 
In low-lying ground and wet soils generally, 
says the Mark Lane Express, there is no plan 
equal to planting potatoes on the surface and 
covering the sets with soil obtained from be¬ 
tween the rows, which, in this case, should be 
3)4 or 4 feet apart. It is surprising what fine 
crops are obtained by this method of culture 
in cold, wet soils. 
Good Prospects for England.—” The 
wheat plant and all grazing crops are better 
established than we ever remember to have 
seen them,” says the London Ag. Gazette, 
“ Therefore it is certain that unless we have a 
very bad Summer we shall have an average 
crop and if we are favored with a good Sum¬ 
mer we shall probably have the best crop of 
corn for the last thirty years. Not only do we 
refer to wheat, but barley and oats also. 
Never has there been such an early season, 
and seldom if ever has there been so much 
Spring corn above ground in early March.” 
The Acme. —Our own report of the imple¬ 
ment trial appeared in the Rural of April 1. 
The official commitee report on harrows 
speaks of the Acme clod-crusher and pulver¬ 
izing harrow in a way that fully supports the 
reports the Rural hns made from its own 
trials. It says: ** The Acme, entered by Nash 
& Brother, deserved opportunities which were 
not afforded. Its work on the plowed ground 
was perfect, but it was evident that the har¬ 
row had capacity for a wider range which, 
under the circumstances, we were not able to 
give it. We did, however, subject this har¬ 
row to a test in a distant field of corn stubble 
—soil, loam, reasonably free from stones 
and weeds. This field, it must^be understood, 
had not been plowed. The purpose in trying 
the harrow under these conditions was to as¬ 
certain what degree of usefulness it might 
have in fitting stubble land for seed without 
the intervention of the plow. The soil was 
too wet, nevertheless the work performed was 
of excellent character, indicating capacity 
for this implement beyond any other em¬ 
ployed under similar conditions.” 
Joseph Harris says that barley can only 
be profitably grown on the best of land. If 
land is not in the highest condition, oats are 
more profitable than barley. Oats will do 
well on sod land. Barley rarely amounts to 
anything when sown on sod land. On black, 
mucky soils, oats will do well, but barley is 
almost certain to fall. 
Mr. Harris does not grow the two-rowed 
barley. It is not as profitable as the six- 
rowed, as it rarely brings as much in market 
by 10 cents per bushel. 
A farmer used tar water on part of his currant 
bushes. These were not harmed by the cur¬ 
rant worm. The leaves of the others were 
destroyed.Dr. Sturtevant says that 
some professor or other has cured every in¬ 
stance of yellows in peach trees by using mu¬ 
riate of potash in excess.Mr. Harrison, 
of Ohio, says that an acquaintance of his 
found his trees dying and carted ashes on his 
orchard, and the trees recovered.. Give 
the cellars a thorough cleaning. Remove 
everything that is decaying, and whitewash 
the ceilings and sides.Dandelions. Do 
you like them for greens ?.Bear it in 
mind: Blundering, heedless, thoughtless, in¬ 
efficient help may do more harm in a day to 
plants, to implements, to horses—yea, to one’s 
peace of mind—than can be saved in a week 
by the low wages paid to such hands. 
.Burdock roots make a fair vege¬ 
table when cooked, says Prof. Meehan. The 
flavor resembles salsify. The Japanese have 
improved the wild kind till it has become 
much superior to the original.Robert 
Douglas, of Waukegan, HI., says in the Gar¬ 
dener’s Monthly, that he thinks the ailanthns 
fills a place for the Jersey shore and the arid 
lands in the far West, where no other tree will 
do as well or be as profitable.The In¬ 
ferences based on the ensilage experiments 
conducted at the Mich. Ag. Coll, are : 1. En¬ 
silage of the best quality is an excellent feed 
for milch cows, as well as for growing and fat¬ 
tening cattle. 2. It is an admirable and cheap 
substitute for roots, as a cattle feed. 
