The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1878-01-10

horticultural art that should not be
violated. First. en1eavor to secure a
bit of refreshing green a. a ground
work for vour embroidery OF gay
bloom. Somewhere about the place
let there be a spot of grass. uncut by
small walks. but skirted by a broad
pathway. If Of comparatively small
size. il NAV d. TO turf the spot, hrst
making the soil beneath deep and mel
low. and top-dres5lng the Whole. aIler
the turf i. laid. with old manure, raklng
away the largest portions of the refuse
in the spring.
If turf cannot be conveniently pro-
cured. pillow deep. enrich the soil by
liberal supplies of manure beware OF
having it mixed with excess OF saw
DUST. and plant orchard grass or II
YOU are willing to give a little extra
care. for a fine grass IF more delicate
and beautiful texture. blue grass may
be used. Some .lawn mixtures" are
serviceable. others again prove worth
less. On our clay soils white clover
springs spontaneously, if well dressed
with ashes. But no lawn may be TX
pected to do well without frequent
moving. The clippings should re-
main on the ground. and bear IN mind
that the more often ii Is cut tile more
soft and velvet-like your grass VIII be.
The clip of the mower should be snort.
for if the cut be very close, the sun IN
summer. and even on many Of our
Spring days, will burn the roots, and
YOU will have dead spots. Top dress
ing with ASHES is highly beneficial.
W-IkS.
Walks should be few in number and
well kept. To cut a fine garden up
into small walks, in % of which two
or three persons NAV walk with COM
fort. is to sacrifice all true beauty to Il
playhouse prettiness, such "a letter
BELTS Il child'S nursery. And tins IS
worse when the walks are badl. kept.
Overrun with weeds, OF washed away
in winter, they present a lamentable
sight, and our undertaking is soon
given up in disgust, which might have
formed one of the..sweetest clements
i'll the happiness of life.
CONNECTION BETWEEN THE HOUSE AND
GROUNDS.
If the house stands or sioping
ground, a terrace of ven limited width
will be a very desirable addition. 1t
supplies a connection between the ar
chitecture Of the building and the or
namentation of the ground, enhancing
the apparent size Of the building, and
adding greatly to its effect. This is
further increased by painting low
growing plants of dark color at the
base of the structure. Vines may be
trained against the walls or at the side
of the piazza. The old favOrites for
this purpose have been reinforced by
the addition of many new and lovely
climbers.
PLANTING FOR EFFECT.
Trees between front and back yards
should be screened by masses of shrub
berry, intermingled with evergreens, to
secure their rich, ~enlivening effect
during the winter, when deciduous
trees only present their bare trunks
and twigs to us. 1t is always in good
taste to ornament the entrance richly
to the right and left. Pretty curves in
walks should be severely let alone
also what are called serpentsnes, or a
walk that followsth the track of a snake.
for no reaso except the annoyance of
the visitor, that is ~discoverable. Walks
should be straight, OF else curved III
broad easy curves, not of a Zlg-Zag
style. Wherever the curve approaches
sharpness, of necessity. a heavy group
of s%hrubbery should occupy the inte-
rior surface partly enclosed by the line
of the walk, to give what may be
called ..raison d'etre" for the change
of direction.
WHAT SHOULD BE- PLANTED.
Here and there on the grass may be
placed a small lawn tree, such as the
cut-leaved weeping birch, deciduous
weeping cypress, magnolia cordata or
leune, Venetian smoke tree, fringe
tree, English bird cherry. the double
Towering peaches, &c. For general
purposes of shade and ornament. the
silver maple, Scotch elm, Norway
maple, kalenteria paniculata. and pur-
ple-leaved maple are very desirable.
OF these we will have something to
say hereafter.