The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1880-09-16
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Hints on Home AdOrnment.

gestions to the rural worker and thinker
on home adornment. If our country is
ever to grow lovely through mans tastes
and labors, it is this class of persons
who must make it SO. IS The farmer
should take plenty of ground for spec
ial ornamentation. If he have a some
what irregular surface available for such
a purpose it should be used in prefer
ence to the smoother land, as it affords
better opportunities for variety, thing
to be desired in our western landscapes.
1t he does not take sufficient space and
is person of taste it will prove a mat
ter for lifelong regret. Many people
have this to lament over. They have
planted evergreens, hard naples, will
lows, box-elders, honey locusts and
other trees, close together, and when
these trees arrive at an age to display
their beauty they begin to deform each
other. Every time the owner steps
through his door-yard he sees fine ev-
ergreen, or some other fayorite tree,
growing into hopeless one-sidedness or
stunted worthlessness, from the close
companionship of other trees, and,
while he deplores it he usually lacks
courage to do anything about it; thus
his door-yard becomes torment in
stead of a joy. Whoever invented the
country door-yard did the world great
injury. Since that time most country
people find no place to put fine tree
but in the door-yard.
Plant trees literally but not indis-
criminately. Every tree has its own
beauty and its own place, but nothing
can be more indefinite than the ideas
usually entertained on these points.
The most common thought seems to be
That II tree or shrub is handsome in
itself it will look well anywhere. The
truth appears to be that, if we wish to
produce fine effects by tree-planting
the adaptation of the tree to it's place,
not only by its general form and habits
out by the sentiments which it awakens
IN the beholder, is of prime importance.
Trees which express strength, indie
pendence, retirement, shelter, seem
better adapted than any others to our
prairie homes. Our winters are cold,
our winds are fierce; the trees must
> have strength and endurance to with
stand them. Upon our broad open
lands we seem to live in all outdoors:
we want trees that will shut us into the
retirement and privacy of a home. We
want trees that will warm and comfort
the landscape. A home with oaks, ma
pies, elms and evergreens has indie
pendence, intelligence and refinment
associated with it. A home with pop-
lars and other soft wood chiefly, is a
chaapiy gotten up affair and has pov-
erty-strleken look. We would not dis
parage the planting of the deciduous
soft woods, but great care should be
taken in regard to kind, place and also
number,
Though slow growing tree, there is
none which assumes a pleasing appear
ance sooner and which will give greater
satisfaction than the hard maple. There
IS no other deciduous tree that clothes
Itself in such fine apparel at the diane
ter OF five inches. One or two in the
pasture, clump in your special
grounds near the house, and a few. or
a row II you choose. beside the road.
Will never seem out of place. There is
no single tree that individualizes itself
IN more characteristic manner than
the white elm when it attains age. 1t
is especially welcome at the corners of
the road, at the entrance gate, or as a
roof-tree. The oak is a hardy, indie
pendent tree, and stout enough in the
shoulders to hold its arms out straight
without splitting. The man who is SO
fortunate as to hayeK a grove of old
oaks. or scattering ones, about his
dwelling should be careful about cutting
them away. Nothing which he can
produce in the way of ornamentation
during his lifetime will ever replace
the loss of such old settlers. The red
or swamp maple, as seen in the Septem
per woods of the East, is like the scar
let tanager among the feathered tribes.
A tree or two of this species in a group
OF evergreen would. at the time Of wear
when it puts on its scarlet, make a re-
markable feature in the Landscape.
Ibis tree in color is the pure red wine
OF autumn; nothing in the landscape in
toxicates like it.
Most farmers consider the extensive
planting of evergreens very expensive.
The proper way to reduce cost is to set
out q small nursery of hardy, free
growing kinds. The cost of small trees is
little and the labor of caring for them
trifiing. In a few years they are ready
tor use during any leisure day
in the tree-pIanting season. Nv
own expense for small evercreens
sufficient for use on my farm did
not exceed $50. When they had grown
to size suitable for removal to already
chosen permanent localities with a
team, low sled and man to assist I |
have removed and set out large group |
in day. The days. spent in this labor
are among the happiest of my life. 1t
is joy to raise a tree, to set it in it's
permanent home, and think that it will |
remain monument of ones tastes and
abors for perhaps century or more. |
For this farm l paid 500 per acre, and
N less than ten years I sold it for $50
per acre. Farm adornment does paw in
money as well as in beauty. Dollars
never return a heavier interest to the
farmer than when put in attractive OBJ
ects that will increase the charms of
nature upon his land.
Woodlands keep the homestead in
rood heart" No farm is complete with
out one, for beauty as well as utility. If
l.