The Grange advance., 1873-12-10
A Five Acre House Place.

lot, with shade trees, hover and Kitchen
garden, ornamental plantations, belts and
lawns, if only they knew just how to 60 to
work to lay it out. 1t is not that they
grudge the labor necessary to care for it
at least that portion of them who read ag-
ricultural and horticultural journals don
One principal difficulty is that, when
once the fever takes hold of an individ-
ual it races on at galloping speed until it
severely drains his pocket; then, the
fever having run its course, the stage of
collapse comes on.
Whenever the farmer builds his new
house, and some who read the Western
Rural, do SO each year, the beginning
should be made by selecting the site
with reference to future adornment.-
Whatever the size of the lot, be it three
Or five acres, and the latter costs but
triAe more to keep tidy than the former,
the house should always be placed On
the highest point from whence the slope
is to the road.
The house should also be placed 50
that the outbuildings, kitchen garden,
home orchard, vineyard, ETC., may be
placed in the rear. If the lot is at the
intersection of crossroads, the house
should front the principal street unless
two fronts can be afforded. Whether
this can be afforded or not, drive should
be 50 arranged that it may connect with
both roads. In place Of five acres not
1oo, ~ ch1,,1l Jc l,,,o%o1 4o
an orchard and vineyard, including small
fruits and kitchen garden. The kitchen
garden should occupy about three-fourths
of an acre Of this plat. The fruits
would occupy one side of the plat, begin
ming with the larger trees, as apples,
then working the smaller trees, grapes,
berries, etc., toward the kitchen garden.
The length Of the plat will enable the
cultivator to do nearly all the cultivation
by horse power. The beets, carrots,
parsnips, etc., should be planted two feet
apart, plan now generally adopted by
market gardeners in the West. The
planting of the orchard and garden
should be the first care
This being done, the boundaries of the
field should be planted with shrubbery
and hedges. The general run at least of
the road way must be laid out, and shade
trees and clumps of trees and shrubbery
planted not too thick, for here is the
fatal mistake made by all beginners
They plant too thick and will not thin
out in due season hence, in the course
of years, instead of having lawn only
shaded here and there with trees, they
too often find themselves in possession Of
thicket-a nuisance.
IF the land be undulating, this must
be taken advantage Of to carry the drive
in curve lines to the house. These
curves should be planted more thickly
than other portions of the place. This
planting, SO far as clumps are concerned,
should be in the hollow of the curves,
care always being taken to preserve dis
tant views that may be worth preserving.
In fact, one of the niceties of rural
planting is to shut out unsightly objects
and preserve the most important views.
In planting, evergreens and decidu-
Gus trees should be planted where they
may best subserve the purpose wanted.
Evergreens are for ornament and pro-
lection from winds. Deciduous trees
are for ornament, but particularly for
shade in Summer. Except when used
for hedging or windbreaks, all trees and
shrubs should be so planted that in any
stage of their growth they will have
plenty of room.
Among the more desirable evergreen
trees that are hardy are Norway
spruce, white, Scotch and Austrian
pine, arbor-vite, hemlock and black
spruce. Hemlock is especially valuable,
but it is to be regretted that it does not
always succeed we'll except in particula.
localities Plant it by all means and,
if it live and grow few years after
planting, it is usually all right thereaf-
ter. AS rule, the evergreens should
be most heavily planted at the bounda-
ries and relieved nearer the front with
elm, maple, ash, birch, bass-wood and
other deciduous trees Of pleasant foliage.
The prairies being always exposed to
heavy winds, protection against the pre-
vailing ones, especially for the house,
orchard and garden, barns, etc., should
be provided by thick plantations of
evergreens. The drives and walks
should wind sufficiently to be attractive.
avoiding, however, all sharp curves un-
less the nature of the land make it una
voidable.