The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-03-29
Trees For the Home Grounds.

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Grass and trees are the principal ele-
ments in landscape gardening. Each
would thrive without the other but
neither would be sufficient alone to make
tne grounds appear pleasant and home
like. There are people who cannot see
any beauty in a fine well-kept lawn; a
potato patch would be better suited to
their unitarian ideas of the fitness of
thlnSs- And so there are people who can
see no beauty in a tree, except in so far
as II can be utilized for firewood or fence
posts And so we find all over the west
ern country homes which are nearly or
quite destitute of the better class of
trees Such places present cold dreary
aspect. which is repulsive to one whose
soul is in touch with nature and who
loves the beautiful as expressed in trees.
Many OF these people look upon Orna-
mental trees much as they do upon thor
oughbred Stock-aS something beyond
their reach. which they cannot afford TO
possess The fact is. it is not necessary
10 select very great number of species
for an ordinary sized lawn; but we should
rather select such varieties as are suited
to the soil, climate and situation. Care
must be taken, of course, to choose those
kinds which will produce the most pleas
ing effect throughout the season. as well
as in after years, when they become old.
1t Is not necessary, either. in country
like this, so rich in varieties of beautiful
dec!duous trees In fact, unless one has
some knowledge concerning the foreign
trees, he had better touch them lightly
and make use of what nature has pro-
vided him. A few evergreens are desirable,
and these as a rule will have to be pur-
chased. They add variety to the land
scape. and when young are peculiarly at
tractive in many ways.
OF our native deciduous trees. the sugar
maple, scarlet maple, American elm, lime
or Eastwood, tulip tree, white ash, hack
berry, some of the poplars. and birches,
are all excellent for the lawn, and are
suited to a great variety of soils and eli
mate The elm, however, should not be
planted except in locations where it can
have room to spread, for in this way only
can it develop its highest type of beauty
and grandeur. The same is true 10 a
greater or less extent of all our native
trees but the elm should have at least
quarter of an acre ali to itself. 1t is evil
dent therefore, that it is not adapted to
a small place. The red bud or Judas tree
VII add a peculiar charm to the scene
early in the sea SON. SO-called second
growth oaks or hickories, if already
Sroyn TO a considerable size, are almost
invar.able. but they are slow growers
and for that reason are seldom planted.
For single tree standing alone in the
front portion of the lawn, there is nothing
that will produce a more pleasing effect
than the cut-leaved weeping birch, or the
cucumber tree, the only one of the mag
noi.as suitable for cold climate. If
planted near. each other. the light-colored
bark, long pepdulous branches and deli
cate foliage of the one contrast beauti-
y,
thick foliage of the other. Wiers cut
leaved weeping maple is also beautiful
tree for a small place. Either of these
may be had at small expense. The locusts..
ard some others are undesirable for the
average lawn
Among the evergreens, the various
forms of Norway spruce, hemloek spruce,
blue spruce. arbor vitae and white pine
are ali good. and may be had at slight
cost. They are especially desirable for
screens and windbreaks and in localities
where eVsrgreenS are not common. The
balsam fir is handsome tree when
young. but it gets ragged with age The
Scotch pine is also too rough and angular
for any situation except to form a back
ground in large places. The Irish and
Swedish jumpers are seldom satisfactory
except while young.
We may secure ever so fine trees for
the lawn, but if they are poorly arranged
they lose much of their beauty and at
tractiveness. The average American. who
has not had this particular part of his
nature cultivated by observation or ex-
per.ence, or rather who has never Guilt
v@ted his powers of observation so as to
enable him to see the beauty in arrange
ment, will almost invariably plant his
ornamental trees in straight rows as he
would plant apple trees in an orchard. !
This will do very well where the walks |
and drives are laid out in straight lines, |
which is seldom the case in this country, |
where extreme formality is not much |
practiced. 1t should be remembered that !
in a small place but few trees are adj
and these should be placed so
that each tree will not only exhibit it's |
own Individual characteristics, but by |
or contrast it may aid in !
bringing out the beauties of those imme-
iiately surrounding it. This may be done !
either by grouping or planting singIy; IN |
either case. it is well to follow natures |
plan, and plant irregularly, leaving space
enough between the individual specimens /
so they will not crowd each other in after
years.