November, 
S70 
THE AMERICAN 
Rural Life. 
HOW TO ADOEH A COUNTRY HOME. 
“Picture to yourself a young inarriecl cou¬ 
ple just starting on a small farm of then- 
own, having very small means hut lots of 
hope and good sense, with very little actual 
knowledge of horticulture and landscape 
gardening. Tell them how by inexpensive 
methods they may rapidly adorn and make 
beautiful their premises,” wrote Chas. W. 
Garfield to Ossian C. Simonds, and the fol¬ 
lowing is the latter's reply as given in “A 
Primer of Horticulture.” 
It must be encouraging to such to know 
that every year man}'^ wealthy men of our 
lai-ge cities, men who wish to spend their 
remaining days in enjoying the money earned 
during previous busy years, go into the coun¬ 
try to live, believing the}* can secure the 
greatest happiness there. These men find 
pleasm-e in their beautiful trees, lawns and 
flowers, and in various features of nature 
with which they are siu-rounded. This pleas¬ 
m-e is very pure and refining, and detracts 
in no way fi-om the pleasure of others. A 
farmer can watch a sapling, which lie can 
carry in one hand, develop into a noble tree, 
and can take delight in the natural objects 
around him during his whole life if he chooses 
to do so. 
It is right for a man to enjoy life to the 
fullest extent. Tliere is no habit that will 
give one keener pleasure than that of ob¬ 
serving the beauties of nature. It is an in¬ 
expensive habit, too', and should last during 
life. The young farmer has an excellent 
opportunity to stud}' our native trees and 
shrubs. He should do this in company with 
his wife, and should also cultivate his taste 
by reading what has been written by tal¬ 
ented men concerning decorative planting. 
I remember going through a farming coun¬ 
try where fully half the farmers had cut 
down magnificent old Oaks and Elms, and 
had planted in their places almost worthless 
varieties of AVillows and Poplars. Here good 
taste was not shown, although the di.sposi- 
tion to enjoy trees was not entirely wanting. 
Almost every farmer might have made Ins 
home the realization of a picture as inter¬ 
esting as that suggested by Milton's lines : 
“Hard )>j- a cottage chimney smokes 
From between two aged Oak.s.” 
It takes a lifetime for fi tree to gi-ow to a 
size that gives it dignity, and every effort 
should be made to .save old patriarchs. 
We .should try to make our homes seem 
cheerful. The windows have much to do in 
producing this effect, and the more beautiful 
the views can be made, tlie more cheei-ful 
will the rooms be. I.et us suppose a case. 
Look out of the window of your living- 
room and note the various objects. .Vo trees 
or shrubs have yet been jdanted; we see a 
naked yard separated fi-om the sti-eet by a 
fence. Diagonally aci-oss tlie street is ii 
neighbor’s house, with liis barn and the usual 
accompaniments just back of it. Turning 
your eyes towai-d the right you see anotlier 
neighbor’s hou.se with liis barn also in plain 
siglit; still further toward the riglit tliere is 
a dreary expanse of fields surrounded by 
fences, the view being terminated in the dis¬ 
tance by the woods. Finally, at the extreme 
right the view is cut off sliai-ply by your 
own out-buildings in all their native uglin^s 
The first thing to do here in the 
line is to so place trees and shrubs „ 
objectionablefeatures-willbehidden. Pram 
the first neighbor's house by planting trees 
so as to hide the space on c.ach side, thus 
shutting the barn out of sight, and putting 
in its place, as far as the view from your 
ivindow' is concerned, a jileaslng variety of 
foliage. Perhaps have only the front porch 
of the second neighbor’s house insight, with 
a glimpse of his lawn and ornamental trees. 
Next have a view across the fields with 
tlie w’oods in the distance, but break up the 
monotony by planting groups of trees in the 
corners of lots or along fences. These may 
deprive you of the use of .a little land, but 
the comforting shade ■which tliey give to 
your stock and the rest they give to your 
eyes will fully compensate for this. Hide 
your ow'n barn next, to still fni-thor improve 
the picture. 
Fences are nearly always disagreeable to 
look at and should only be used where nece.s- 
sary. They suggest a limited space and a 
sort of confinement. If you are so fortu¬ 
nate as to live in a neighborhood whore ani¬ 
mals are not allowed to run in the street, 
you can do away w-itli your front fence al¬ 
together. If it is necessary that the fence 
should remain, plant groups of shrubbery 
in front of it. 
If you do not wisli to spend any money 
you can produce very pleasing ellects with 
trees and shrubs from the woods. Get them 
from the outskirts and open places, as such 
will stand transplanting better tlian tlmse 
that are shaded. Get such as have made a 
vigorous growth and are perfectly healthy. 
.Spare no pains in securing a large quantity 
of roots. Cut the ends of these smoothly 
before planting, and shorten tlie branches. 
Plant in the fall after the leaves have fallen, 
or in early spring. 
In planting a group ti-y to hide all the 
stems or trunks with foliage by preserving 
the lower branches, planting tlie tallest trees 
in the center, medium size next, and shrub¬ 
bery graded according to size on the outside. 
Nature .always plants in this ivay. Plant 
trees which have beautiful autumn leaves, 
so th.at they will be fully exjiosed to the sun 
and to your window, but do not plant trees so 
that they will keep sunshine from yourhouse. 
'J’he ground between that which you plant 
and your house should be covered with a 
good turf. This can be secured by making 
the ground mellow, rich, and evenly graded^ 
and sowing Kentucky 15lue Grass and Ped 
Top seed in Septcmbei- or in early spring. 
It may he so shady under the trees that the 
grass will not grow there, hut do not trim 
them uj) and spoil them for the sake of the 
sod. Instead, plant our native Kei-ns and 
such flowers as the Liver Leaf, 'I’rillium 
Spi-ing Heaiity, Iflood Pool,, and 'I'whi Le-if’ 
and you can have a beautiful wild gm-.l'en 
with no e.vpen.se after the first year Wild 
Sufillowers and Golden Pod can he p|.,„|,(>d 
among tlie shrubbery and will produce a 
brilliant efi'eet in autumn. 
In eonelusion, I will say that there is no 
calling whiel. can furnish more real en'iov 
ment than that of farming to those “ who 
have lots of hope and .sense,” and who will 
avail themselves of every advantage ofi'ered 
liy “farming” is meant all soil culture. ' ' 
unhealthfulness, and in ways 
more insidious because so 
In this respect the cel- 
'olM OHXABS m HEALTHY 
Tn citv And countiy Alike, it is the dark 
1 neglected and little used places 
whL '.eduentlY eontrlb. 
ute to its 
wliich iive the 
often unsuspected 
lars of many houses h.ave much to answer 
for for they .are generally dark and damp, 
wih no direct r.ays of the sun to kill the 
mephitic gases which .always seek those low 
levels and no ventilation to disperse them, 
even where the cellars themselves are not 
made the depositories of cast-off rubbish and 
vegetable refuse. . , ^ 
'J’herefore tlie warning cannot be too often 
o-iven, especially in the spring, when so 
many families move into new houses, and 
when the good housewife generally enforces 
the most thorough cleaning and overhauling 
of the ye.ar, to look to it that the cellar is 
not neglected. Their ceilings and walls 
should be plastered,and whitewashed or cal- 
cimined wlicre possible, to keep them dry 
and clean, and the occupants should prevent 
their cellars above all things else from be¬ 
coming “poke holes” for rubbish; the floors 
slioulcl be well paved or cemented, to keep 
out emanations from the soil; and where 
this can be clone, they should be ventilated 
by keeping open in dry weather, windows or 
doors communicating with the outside ah-. 
Emanations from cellars do not kill in a 
night; they are but too frequently not 
noticed at all, although damp and mouldy 
cellars have undoubtedly done much to 
imderinine the healtli of many families. 
The cellar air is taken up through the 
rooms of a house gradually, and in small 
doses at a time, but the warmer air of 
the upper rooms produces an upward cut-- 
rent every time the cellar door is opened, 
and neglect in regard to this matter is sure 
to entail serious consecpiences because the 
real reason is so often overlooked.— ScietUiJic 
American. 
RURAL FELICITY. 
-Ilie Clicsluuts they are snapping 
On tlie iwy-linteU fciulor; 
Tlie maid is in tile celiar, 
A\ iiei'e lu'r jiapa lie did send lier 
To draw a inng ot' cider, 
To iiring .some tloiden Pippins, 
.Some dongiiniits and some ginger suiqis 
To lili tile eve as eliip.ins. 
Tile liired iiian is greasing 
Jliskipsklns with tile tallow, 
I lie wiiiie lie smears sonic lall'v 
O'er tile butler-maker callow ; 
■the iittlii boy is plneliing 
I’oor piis.sy's tail in antie; 
'I'lie grand dame slio is trying 
To lliread lier needle |-rantle. 
I'he horses Ihny are rnlihing 
I heir noses 'gainst, tlie manger. 
Theeoek is sollly eantioning 
ills wives a,gainst the stranger; 
The shadows on ilu' litllside 
'Vie tnrnliig into lilaek; 
'I’lie young folks tliey are hurrying 
l'’i'om eandy frolle liaek. 
The watchdog lie is barking 
.'VI tile moon aliove the Miqile; 
■Ibe II'limii Is sollly drawing 
The loek.oiit of the staple; 
I’he water wheel Is silent. 
The iiigs He elose togetlier; 
'V morteonvenleiit modus 
Operainll In eohl weather. 
Vhicago XjCdffcr 
