Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1870-07-29
ABOUT LAWNS.

ANU LA " Ms
Very few cven of our best farmers
think that lawn is of any value to
The farm. The popular idea in re-
gard to a lawn for the farm house, is
that it is costly, difficult to get up,
and expensive to keep in order. Now
ali the propositions are at fault. A
lawn Of two acres can be cheaply
planned, planted and cared for. In
the first place it must be planted and
cultivated for three or four wears be-
fore seeding down. In la, ing the
lawn out you do not need landscape
gardener; in fact, l have never seen
satisfactory farm lawn planned by
one of the profession. They are
spoiled with over planting. In a
village, or the suburbs of the city,
tins close planting is in better taste,
but tor the farm we want the lawn
crowned with few stately trees, with
a light filing Of shrubs; but no flow
or beds; let the flowers 90 to beau.ify
the garden. Noble trees, symmctri
cal shrubs, and a Garnet Of blue grass,
is all we ask for the lawn. The grass
may be cut half 4 dozen times during
the season for the soiing, or we may
cat it weekly with a lawn mower.
These useful machines are now with
in the reach of farmers of moderate
means.
In planting the three acres of
my house grounds, | have put in
three or four times too many trees
and shrubs. Year after year | thin
out, and yet its looks too much like
,ngled thicket. The trees and shrubs
nat please and attract attention are
those that stand separate and not
those in clumps. Norway spruce,
white and Austrian pines, that stand
II, a setting of blue grss, with their
lower branches resting on the ground,
are specimens of natures art. They
need no shears to make them symme-
trjcal. Silver naples, elm, catalpa,
sage, white and golden willow, the
ash leated maple. and the poplars
give variety when filled in the snow
balls, Japan ounce, spira, lilacs,
syringes, red bud, roses, fringe
tamaracks, honeysucklcS, and althe-
as. Pconys and lilies are also adj
missib!e in small clumps but every
rrcc and shrub should be planted by
itself, and stand upon its individual
merits.
Ifyou plant in clumps, the weak
must give place to the strong, and,
after a few years, these latter must |
disappear. Your Towering almonds
nd beautiful spireas and syringes
vii. g.Fe ~. Give your trees and
plants room if they are to fight their
way il blue grass. If,hey head low,
as cvergrccns and shrubs ought to,
they viii keep weeds and grass from
under them. On the other hand, the
decl1uous forest trees should be trim
med up five or six feet before the
head is formed. Keep the space
open about the house, and thicken
the planting as you near the borders
Of the grounds. Or the outside, the
lawn may be separated with an ever
green hedge Or tianked with the or
chard
In my grounds are 90 dwarf pear
and some 20 cherry trees, besides
crab apples and ounce.
The produce Of this lawn consists
o several tons of hay for soiling,
twenty to thirty bushels Of cherries
and generally as MANY bushels of
pears sold, besides fruit for the Sanity.
In short, in point of dollars, it is a
paying institution. and, with its many
points is of injudicious planting, on
The whole, passable piece of orna-
mental ground.
Now is the season to plan our
lawns, or to sec wherein we can
make change for the better. If we
can afford to dispense with the value
q the grass for soiling, we may use
The lawn mower exclusively; but !
that most OF our farmers
would prefer to feed out the grass
and TO sacrifice much of the beauty.
To use a top dressing of manure
once in two or three years keeps
everything in a thrifty condition.
Ny lawn cost some $500 or $500 but
] could now make better one torsl00.
I should dispense with the winding
nrths tina: are now almost obliterated,
plant sparingly, and nothing in
Jumps, except few helbaceous
ants. In the fal! l feed off with
ses and colts, and to some extent
spring, and cut the grass with
saort lawn scythe. This season !
tend to use lawn mower OH part
II the grounds, but could not think
keeping three acres in hand with
is implement when the farm, the
rdcn, and the orchard demand so
oh attention.
most any farmer can add to his
.auae grounds, and by small outlay
Ike them not only more inviting,
ut even rnore profitable, for my three
res not emily pay the interest on
e iniudicious first cost, but a better
.5otit over this than ordinary farm
erops.-"Ru~a1' IN Chicago 7rib-
llnc.