The Plymouth Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1869-1941, 1870-11-03
Boys Can Beautify the Farm.

IF the farm is to look better next wear
than it has this; if it is to be made an at
tractive spot for all future time, the chances
are that the boys must take the matter in
hand 1t is fitting that they should plant
the trees and vines, since they and not their
fathers will enjoy the benefit of their shade
\ farm, whatever be its location may be
made beautiful without the expenditure of
money. The materials can be found i'm the
nearest forest and along the banks of the
neighbOring streams. Trees are to the
landscape what pictures are To the walls of
a room. Vines are sort of natural tapes
try, suggestive alike of gracefulncss and
beauty. Fortunately, there are few neigh
borhoods, even in this prairie country, where
there are not trees and vines suitable for
transplanting, that can be obtained for the
asking and the digging. Tastefully ar
ranged about the homestead, they would
transform it from the dreary place it is into
IA rural paradise. The present is the fitting
time to see about it, and the persons to en-
gage in the enterprise are the boys.
TO begin with, the side of the road in
front of the farm should he decorated.
Here is strip of land ordinarily of no use
except to raise weeds, the seeds of which
find their way into the adjacent fields. 1t
has become the fashion in many places to
set here "A uniform row of the same kind of
trees at the same distance apart. Now it
must be admitted that this is an improve
ment on IL barren waste; but, after ALL they
have an exceedingly formal look, remind
ing us of a row oftelegraph poles. A bet
ter plan would he to pillow strip six or
eight feet wide, coming as near as possible
to the fence, and To plant a great variety of
trees with less regard to lines and dis
tances. We lately rode through an avenue
in Toronto, Canada, which was, in this re-
spect, IA model of taste. The trees stood as
we find them in a well-kcpt grove; some
singly, others in groups; NOW several of
the same kind, and again a dozen varieties
intersperscd, and all SO skilllully done that
we rode for some distance thinking the
street had been cleared through natural
forest.
1t would be well i'm every respect if a
strip on the side OF the farm most exposed
to winds could be treated in the same man
ner. The trees would be of use as wind
breaks and would greatly add to the beauty
of the premises. If, however there are
reasons against occupying SO much land, a
simpler plan may he adopted. Suckers of
Lombardy poplars can be obtained i'm al
most any neighborhood, and these, even
stuck into the green sward and left to take
core of themselves, will make good trees in
a dozen years Two boys, with measur-
ing line, a grubbing hoe and a pointed
stick, can plant row half mile i'm length
in few hours. The native larch would be
a better tree to plant than the poplar, and
the European larch would be preferable To
either, but we are talking of identifying a
place without money, and having the work
done by boys.
Some nut trees, of course, should be
planted. These are valuable for shade. for
beauty, and, more than all, for their fruit.
Some of these trees, like the black walnut
and butternut, may be tansplanted when
they are small, but the surer way to get
hickOries is to plant the nuts in the places
where you wish the trees to grow. 1t
would be an exceedingly good plan to have
some chestnut trees, but as these cost
money, their planting can be delayed few
years unless you have an uncle in the East