November, 
268 
THH 
Lawn and Landscape. 
TEUE LANDSOAPE AET. 
Donald G. Mitchell, in his work entitled 
“Out of Town Places," says the true art of 
landscape gardening lies in such disposition 
of roadways, plantations, walks and build¬ 
ings as shall most effectively develop all the 
natural beauties of the land under treatment, 
without conflleting with the uses to which 
such lands may be devoted. 
It comes also within the domain of tlie 
landscape art to secure an agreeable lookout 
from the cherished windows of the country 
homestead, whatever may be its situation. 
Accident or choice of site may Indeed secure 
this beyond question, but site being estab¬ 
lished where views are limited or obnoxious 
objects fret the eye, it is surprising what 
maj'- be done by judicious planting. 
THE TEW AS A LAWN TEEE. 
A group of Yews, says Josiah Hoopes in 
the X. Y. Tribune, constitutes one of the 
prettiest features on a lawn, and though 
there is an impression that they are not hardy, 
the contrary will prove the rule, in all shel¬ 
tered locations in the Middle States. Dur¬ 
ing exceptionally severe enters the young 
shoots are liable to injiuv, but although this 
may disflgiue the plant for a time, it will 
eventually cause a denser growth and more 
desh-able form. An annual pruning is requi¬ 
site with the entire family, yet merely the 
tips should be cut, as the growth is slow. 
An enumeration of the various kinds is un¬ 
necessary here, as our leading nurserymen 
mostly keep a good assortment in stock, but 
the following should be included : Ta.r,ug cus- 
pidata, a very hardy sjjecies from .Japan. 
T. aurea, the blight Golden Yew so popular 
in England, and succeeding liere in sunny 
exposures. Our native species, T. Cnnadm- 
sis, trailing in a wild state, but forming an 
erect, bushy plant when-pruned regularly. 
T. CanadamU varie'jata, or T. Vi'anhin.ijirmi- 
ana, a pretty, variegated form of our native 
plant. There are nuniei'ous others, valued 
mostly on account of difference in outline, 
growth or color, which show to decided ad¬ 
vantage when contrasted in a group. 
PEAISE OP SHEUBS. 
Ornamental slirubs, judiciously planted 
and grouped on a lawn or about the dwell¬ 
ing, impart a grace and beauty that nothing 
else can furnish. .Shrubs, said Vi. C. .Strong 
before the Massachusetts Horticultural So¬ 
ciety, are peculiarly adapted to give the best 
effects at the least cost and with pernianent 
re.sults. There is no danger that they will 
grow up to shut out the sunlight and views 
from our dwellings. Many of the coarse- 
growing kinds are not in keeping with highly 
cultivated estates, but may be usisl in less 
conspicuous positions and foi'wind-bi’cakers. 
But there is left a long list of kinds suited to 
the most cultivated positions; the di/llculty 
will be in making judicious .selections. 
However much we may pj-ize the llowcr- 
ing quality of shrubs, we must remcndK;r 
that this is shown in most cases for oidy a 
week or ten days in the yeai-, and we desire 
something more than this brief enjoyment. 
It is true we have some shrubs which (lower 
at periods of scarcity, like tlu! CIcthra and 
Hydrangeas in August, and the Alt» Se winter, and would not require 
September, and which would therefoie be bring it down to a proper 
iuLpensable for that quality alone, ihe .. 
Kosealsois an example of such superlative 
beauty in bloom that it can well afford to 
stake its reputation upon this one point. 
Still, it remains true, as a rule, that we inus 
1 ' " -and 
seek for eflbct in form, and for grace 
luxuriance in foliage, as giving more enjoy¬ 
ment in the aggregate than flowers in their 
brief period. We must study to harmonize 
and heighten the effect of color, form and 
size in our lawn planting. ^ 
We have a greatly increased range of color, 
from the white of the Cornus and Altiueas, 
the golden of the Elder and Spirica, and of 
evergreens the Eetinispora, Arbor Vitm and 
Yew, the vivid green of the Forsytliia, to 
the dark sliades of Berberry and Hazel. 
What combinations of light and shade m.ay 
be made with these materials! Again, we 
have great variety in size and character of 
growth, from the most delicate evergreens 
to the rugose vigor of the Japan Kose. 
What striking effects may be produced when 
these are used in harmony with each other and 
with their suri’ouudiiigs! .Judicious plant¬ 
ing is a great art, but it is an art which in¬ 
sures a great and permanent reward. 
LAWNS ANE LAWN &EASSES, 
Eecognizing the paramount importance 
of a good lawn as an indispensable pai't of 
every rural home, we have frequently given 
directions for the preparation and establish¬ 
ment of lawns, so that but little that is new 
can be said on the subject. Yet the follow¬ 
ing suggestions made by Daniel Batchelder 
at a recent meeting of the Western Xcw York 
Ilorticultural Societj' are so pi'actical and to 
the point that they may serve as answer to 
several questions before us: 
Comparatively speaking there is very little 
laud in our country that does not require 
uiiderdraining and thorough amelioration to 
bring it into a fit condition for good lawns 
on which the finer gra.sses will grow and 
keep verdurous during onr almost tropical 
summers. Of course there are deep, sandy 
loams, resting on gravel bottoms, where the 
natural drainage is all sufficient; there arc 
also in some situations, toi> and sub-soils so 
light and sandy—leachy—that they do not 
need a change of texture to the depth of 18 
inches before a penn.'inent sod can be main¬ 
tained. 
If a soil is a heavy clay loaTti it .should be 
bi-onght into the very best condition that 
diaining, deej) plowing, trenching, manur¬ 
ing and pulverizing can do; .asin our climate 
we do not obtain tln^ requisite amount of 
moistiij-e from the air, we must seek it in the 
gi-ound where, by (ksip culture, it can he olj- 
taineil. A stiff, clay soil is not much better 
than a. di-y, sanrly one for resisting drouth, 
as the former becomes lianl and liak(!d on 
the surface in diy wcatlmr. 
One advantage to be ilerived from deep 
working and manuring is that the ornamen¬ 
tal trees will do so nmeli better on a soil thus 
well prepared than they would on a p,„„. 
stiff sub-soil; but the greatest heiasllts wouhl 
be that the gr.asses will not burn out in dry 
weather. A course of treiaffdng, either witii 
a spade or a frenehing plow, done In autumn, 
would he the best If the lawn Is to he 
(Inls'.ied the following spring. Ground thus 
prepared in 
autumn will settle well during 
as much 
condi¬ 
tion for”seecUni or for sodding. 
If however, the soil is to be prepared, and 
the whole work done before winter, then the 
I tnd should be thoroughly rolled both be¬ 
fore and after seeding or sodding, so as to 
prevent irregular settling when the whole is 
completed. After the plowing, manuring, 
and thorough incorporation has been done, 
then a top-dressing of lime may be put on, 
•It the r.atc of about three tons to the acre, 
iind harrowed or forked in. The seed-bed 
imiy then be mfidc as smooth as possible by 
tine raking—seeding and I'aking being both 
done at the same time. A good limeing at 
the outset will prevent the excessive inciease 
of grubs and worms; besides, it has been ob¬ 
served by good farmers that thcfinei glasses 
thrive much better in pastui-es after the land 
has been limed. 
In making a lawn on light, sandy soil, 
where there is but little humus, lime would 
not be of much use as an ameliorator; for 
such a soil has but little vegetable or carbo¬ 
naceous matter on which the lime can act. 
'I’he lime would soon sink in the soil, and 
even while it remained at the surface, it 
would only retard vegetation. The prepara¬ 
tion of a sandy soil for a lawn should there¬ 
fore be different from that of a heavy loam, 
as the plowing, trenching, and incorporation 
of manure, together with all other work, 
would be much easier done; but the manur¬ 
ing should be verj^ heavy, and supplemented 
with some good loahi and black muck, treated 
with a sprinkling of quick lime. Muck is 
not onlj^ i-etentive of moisture, but is, when 
slightly limed, a most valuable fertilizer for 
light, sandy land, as it brings carbonaceous 
matter to the soil and gives to it the im¬ 
portant capacity of retaining nitrogen. 
As to the grasses best adapted to soils and 
situations, it may first be said that a wei 
soil is hardly to be considered as a fit situa¬ 
tion fora lawn; nevertheless there are places 
where a wet condition of the soil cannot well 
be avoided, and for such the best grasses 
are Pou tricialis or Kough-stalk Meadow 
Grass, Alopecuriis pratensis or IMeadow Fox¬ 
tail, and Ai/i'uslis riilijuris or Eed-toji. For 
average good soil I have had the best results 
Irom a seeding, in about equal proportions, 
of Poa pratcnni.'t or Kentucky Blue Grass, 
PeMiira duritismia or Hard Fescue, Artrostis 
canina or Creeping Bent, Ciino.'nirug crintntii)! 
or Crested Dogtail, and the Pacey Dwarf 
Eye Grass. 'I'hc two last named arc espec¬ 
ially adapte.l to light, dry soils, as they are 
deep rooted and very llbrous, and will con¬ 
tinue green in the dryest of weather, even 
when the Kentucky Blue is apparently do:id. 
It is a grcid; mistake to stint the .seed when 
middng a lawn. Three or four bushels to 
tlie acre .should he laid ou and fairly covered 
before, rolling down. Thesmall graniverous 
birds, especially the s|)a.rrow8. will be sure 
to eat ail the s(!ed l(>rt on the surface. 
If the soil ou which a lawn has boenestab- 
lisluul he light and leae.hy, then it will bo 
nee(!ssary to lay on every !mtunm plenty of 
rotten stable manure, not only for fertiliz¬ 
ing but as a, retainer of moisture. If the soil 
Is a, clay loam and the lawn has been prop¬ 
erly prepared, hut little top-dre.ssiug will be 
required, especially of heavv material. 
