Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1897-10-14
TO MAKE FARMS BEAUTIFUL
How Waste Places and Odd Corners May
Be Made Attractise.

" WHNC TAENmS DCAO lit ILL.,.
How Waste Places and Odd Corners May
Be Made Attractise.
Many farms and homesteads have
desolate appearance because the
odd corners and bits of ground are
left untitled and grow up in insight
ly weeds in summer and become
dreary and barren looking in the
winter. 1t is too often the case that
whatever plots of land are insult
able for cultivation because of their
smallness or because inconveniently
situated are left in this wild condi
ton and mar the effect of an other
wise well kept farm or beautiful
home.
In recent report on Expert
mental Farms, +" issued by the Cana
dian government, w. T. Macoun,
foreman of forestry, makes many
suggestions as to how these insight
ly spots may be made attractive and
productive. Mr.. Macoun says: mo
matter how small the plot of ground
or how situated, there is no 1eason
why it should be an eyesore. 1t is
this utilization of every nook, corner
and Granny and the making of two
blades of grass to grow where a
weed grew before that has made
rural England so beautiful to the eye
and so pleasing to the aesthetic
sense. The agricultural and pastoral
landscapes in England, where the
little farms are green to the very
door, have been described as Jewel
scenery There seems to beno good
reason why the rural districts of
New Jersey, New York and of other
states could not be made equally at
tractive and fruitful"
Nj. Macoun has utilized all of
these waste places about the offices
and buildings of the forestry depart
ment at Central Experimental farm.
In his report he thus writes OF the
Improvement Of these odd corners:
1.-The land adjacent to the Office
and other buildings, which has been
devoted to the cultivation of orna-
mental trees and shrubs, looked bet
ter this year than ever before. AS
the trees increase in size from year
to year the landscape becomes more
beautiful. The effects also of the
grouping are more apparent and
show pleasing combinations and con-
trasts of color and form. A number
of the species are also beginning to
bear freely their white, yellow, red,
scarlet, purple and black fruits,
which still further heightens the Of
feet. The flower borders and beds
were mass of bloom from early in
the summer to late in the autumn,
cannas, gladioli and aste1s being
particularly fine. More hedges have
been planted and some small addi-
tional areas seeded down. The trees
and shrubs planted during the last
two seasons now add very much to
the attractiveness of this section of
the farm"
/ The foreman also calls attention
to large number of trees and
shrubs suitable for hedges and orna-
mental purposes. He now has hedges
of rs different species. Among the
ornamental trees Mr.. Macoun men,
tons several beautiful varieties from
Japan and China, such as the syrin-
ga, the katsura tree, the Japanese
ounce and the exquisitely beautiful
maidenhair tree, or gingko biloba.
The director, writing Of the result
of this utilizing of all small plots,
says: THE number of specimens
which have been planted along the
roads from the entrance gates to and
about the building is 2,74a, and the
number of species and varieties
among these is about 400. With SO
many different types of beauty
spread out on every hand the visitor
finds objects Of interest to claim his
attention at every point. !"
In many places on the farm fruit
trees could be used SO that they
would be at once objects of beauty
and profit. Even in the smallest
plots and corners tho weeds and
stones could be replaced by flowers,
to the aesthetic delight and mental
improvement of those who pass
their lives on the farm. New York
Times.