Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1893-11-11
New York.
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FARMHOUSE SURROUNDINGS.
Changes Effected with Trees and Grass.
Good Walks to the Outbuiidings.

Changes Effected with Trees and Grass.
Good Walks to the outbuiidings.
Attention to two things alone will 70
far toward Transforming home from
downright ugliness TO beauty-namely
trees and grass. Many mistakes arc
made in setting out shade trees. Hero
are some helpful points in the matter
given by Country Gentleman corre-
spondent. He says: "Evergreena ought
never to be set near the house. They are
useful as windbreaks at the north and
west, at some distance from the house.
where they may be set either in clumps
or hedges, but never on a lawn. Why
not? First, because grass does not do
well under them, as under deciduous
trees, and, second. because so many Of
them drop cones almost the entire year,
which not only are unsightly, but great
~ interfere with the use Of the lawn
mower.
Mistake No. Is in setting fruit trees
instead of forest trees, and there are two
objections 10 these: First, they arc too
short lived, and this is serious obiec-
ton, for we ought TO plant shade trees
for lifetime, and II is serious matter
just when we have secured shade TO have
our trees die.
Mistake No. 3 is in setting trees too
near the house. IL is hard 70 realize
when planting q tree no larger than a
bean pole that in time IL may have .
spread Of branches 60 or 50 feet in diam
eter, and 80 trees are set 10 or 10 feet
from the house, and long before they
reach their prime the branches are rest-
ing ON the roof, rotting the shingles, and
the leaves are choking the cutters.
The correspondent quoted advises
planting a row Of trees in front Of tho
house, but elsewhere plant in elumpg.
Leave an opening to the southeast, 50
that the morning sun may dry the house;
then plant Immediately south Of the
house to protect from the midday sun
and have an opening to the southwest;
then there should be clump planted
little north Of west 20 protect the houses
from the sun late in the day In the long
days Of summer when Il Is intensely hot
until the sun goes down. The row Il
trees at the front Of the house should, II
DD41IDics 10 ~ tfFk 81 itHSiF ava
Not one farmhouse in ten Is supplied
with good walks to tho outbuildings
Concrete walks are expensive, but at
tractive and durable. and when the farm
er can afford it this material Is advised.
Around the kouse no walks need 70 be
more than feet wide unless il Is al tho
approach TO the front door, where it may
sometimes need 10 be wider. and foot
walk answers very well TO the barn and
other buildings.
Plank walks can be made for Q or Z
cents a square foot, or even lesa, snd viii
last for many years aud give good salts
faction. To make them place 2 by A
scautiings on edge, with fat stone under
to keep them from the ground, and nail
short boards across from one 70 the 9TH
er. The writer prefers narrow boards
not more than inches wide, and 4 Is
better. Nail them on an inch apart. az
they viii dry out readily and last longer
for it and viii also keep cleaner, as the
dirt carried on by the shoes viii most Of
it fall through the cracks. and the walk
costs less than If made with wider boards
or laid solid. as with inch boards 20
per cent Of the lumber is saved.