American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1873-04-19
Farmers Dwellings and Grounds.

NEARLY every farmer has more or less
regard to the appearance of his premises.
He does not like to live in a dwelling of
shabby exterior, or to have weeds briers,
and broken-down fences for his surround
ings. There are very few who would not
like to have neat doOr-yards, if they could
be had without much labor and expense.
Now, we propose to point out simply and
briefly to farmers of moderate means, who
may have land of their own, the mode by
which they may enjoy small extent of
ornamental ground at very little cost. The
size of these grounds will depend on Cir
cumstances and preferences of the owner,
and will vary from one-fOurth of an acre
to four or five acres. Very few should
hesitate, however, to devote at least an acre
to this purpose, when they remember that
this acre will unquestionably be the most
profitable of the hundred or two of the
farm, by way of making at all times a
pleasant and attractive home to the young
er well as other members of the family.
1t is not necessary to devote the labor
and incur the expenses required for keep
ing the costly and finished grounds of the
rich, with broad velvet lawn, polished
walks and marble statues and vases, or
even to attempt to initiate them in a
cheaper way. The small farmer may have
a perfection of his own, by taste without
expenditure. He may adopt the motto,
''Profuse of genius, not profuse with gold"
and carry it out without very great
trouble.
He has the advantage of ample land
room about him. After his trees are
planted and fairly under way Gfhe has not
been so successful as to preserve a natural
grove for thinning OUT, he may adopt two
ways of keeping his grounds and lawn in
order-one of these with moderate expense,
and the other with almost no expense at all.
But whatever mode is adopted, one thing
he should not do-he should never allow
the grass to grow up like Il meadow till
full haying time, and then cut it for cattle
fodder. A dwelling set in tall grass is lit
tic better than prison. On the contrary,
the grass must be kept short, and there are
two ways of doing cutting by a scythe
| or lawn-mower, and grazing with animals.
If by the first mode, the grounds should
be of moderate extent and the surface made
perfectly smooth and even The owner
should not propose to himself to keep his
| lawn in order by the use of n hand-scythe,
| for he will not do it. Grass, if cut at all
should be cut at farthest as often as once a
| week; but if the scythe is to be relied on,
it will sometimes be neglected for two or
| three weeks; the dense, matty character of
| the turf will disappear, the grass will run
up tall, and when cut closely, will leave
| yellow patches. A good lawn-mower will
enable man to NOW about four times as
| much as he would NOW with a lawn-scythe,
| or on smooth, clear ground he will go
over two acres daily. An acre lawn may
therefore be kept like green velvet by the
use of the best hand mower, through the
| entire season, for about twenty dollars in
labor. This is not half of what some
farmers pay for cigars and which is worth
the most-ihe beautiful acre lawn, or the
| fumes of the weed?
When the owner is willing to take the
trouble and incur the expense of smoothly
| shaver grounds, he can also have the ad-
vantage of masses of low shrubbery, and
even of flower beds cut in the turf wher-
ever these may make n pleasing appear
ance. A place of this kind, the house of
quite moderate pretensions, but EMPOWERED
with the rounded masses of the foliage Of
trees and shrubs, has an effect infinitely
| better than that of the stateliest mansion
surrounded with badness and desolation.
| In planting such place, at first the own
| er must be sparing of his trees, or they
will grow up and crowd each other and
never become developed into the round,
full form, which is always a pleasing and
| characteristic feature in any tree.
But there are many farmers who really
cannot afford to give the labor required to
keep such n place in good order. These
may adopt a much cheaper way of accom-
plishing the desired result, especially if
they can devote little more ground to
ornamental planting. The trees may have
bare trunks for few feet, so as to open a
view beneath the branches, and to allow
sheep to keep the grass short. This they
will do better than most men would with
a scythe, and they will charge nothing for
the job. No other animal should he al
mittcd; horses will not crop the grass
close enough, and cattle will he likely to
do more or less damage. There should be
enough sheep, and they should be kept in
long enough TO crop the whole surface
| closely down-Coultry Gentleman