The Advocate and news., 1899-01-11
LANDSCAPE GARDENING.
An address before the Kansas State Horticul-
tuFal Society by DR.. Henry w. ROby

HORTICULTURAL bOcl6bys LIZ II. W. hODy1
of Topeka, delivered an eloquent and
instructive address upon the aesthetic
phase of landscape gardening. We have
not space to publish the address In full
but give the following extracts which
show the Doctors brilliant method Of
treating this delightful subject:
Landscape gardening has two objects,
profit and pleasure Profit In landscap-
ing relates to the enhancement Of land
values. A piece of bare native prairie
will produce as much wheat and corn or
Craze as many cattle as it would If 1t
were laid out and planted in the most
elaborate and artistic manner known to
landscape art, but 1t would not sell for as
much and would be totally undesirable
as place of residence. It's only attrac-
tiOn or value would lie In It's capacity to
produce something the owner could sell.
No bird nor beast nor man would choose
to live on it as matter Of preference,
though we are often almost compelled to
think so, when we ride through the coun-
try and see so many dilapidated and
shabby shanties and shacks set in the
hot sun on so many bald knobs and tree
less patches by the roadside. But the
occupant is always ready to tell us that
through ignorance or penury, he can do
no better.
think all sane men will admit that IL
corner of any bare farm were to be
set apart and well improved by trees and
shrubs and flowers, by walks and drive
ways and grass plats, such farm
would always find a much reader sale
than it would without such improve
ment. And the nearer that corner Of two
or three acres approaches landscape per-
fection the greater its value in the mar
ket, and the greater its capacity for con-
ferring pleasure on all the family, and
keeping the boys and girls at home on
the farm. have no doubt that If, on a
given day near at hand, a three-acre
patch were reserved out of every farm
in the State and set apart for landscape
gardening, and every owner should buy
and study some good practical book on
landscape gardening and apply its prin-
ciples faithfully to his little reservation,
the entire farm values Of the State would
double in ten years by reason Of this one
element Of enhancement. 1t would take
about that long to make a fair growth Of
trees and shrubbery. That improvement
would cost far less in money than might |
be imagined. A few dollars for trees and |
shrubs, and genius and energy would do !
all the rest in otherwise idle hours, and |
the owners mind would grow while his |
trees were growing.
-
What is the landscape? And what is |
landscape gardening? Phillip Gilbert |
who has written very de-
lightful book on "The Landscape" tells
us that the landscape includes all that |
the eye can take in Of land, sea and sky,
and that landscape includes simply |
what we can see at a glance from one
point of observation. So, you see, IL
we undertake to garden the landscape,
we have something larger than an army
contract with the navy thrown in, for
landscape gardening is the art Of laying
out grounds and arranging trees, shrub
berry, ETC., in such manner as to produce
a picturesque effect.
And am happy to say to you that
landscape gardening is absolutely the
oldest and most delightful occupation
among men. The first man to mount the
planet and assume authority and control
over 1t was landscape gardener, the
Father of the Adamites. According to
the book Genesis, when the Landlord
Of our big planetary garden got it all laid
out and planted just to his liking, he
found that there was no man to till the
ground. So he planted a garden east
ward in Eden with every tree that was
pleasant to the sight and good for food
and set Adam Ito dress it and keep it,"
And for wages, the new gardener was to
have all he and his family could eat and
lrink on the premises, except the fruit
Df one tree, which was reserved espe-
,ially for the owner How many Of you
get any better net wages than that to-
lay? Clothes and house rent were not in Il
demand at that time, and specie payment
lad not then been invented. But Adam,
Ike many OF his sons, got tired Of hoe
ng and raking and sweeping up leaves
IN the lawn and concluded to sell out
md eyr, rpnoA O,,kk 49,. 1900, -. | ,