Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-12-16

which are built to sell, and the details
necessary to living in them with any de-
gree of comfort or economy are left to be
worked out by these who happen to buy
them.
An Injury to Property.
The depreciation to property which comes
to a locality where building of this kind
has been done can be appreciated by those
who have been SO unlucky as to own prop
erty near the scene of the operations of the
speculative builder. At the outset, when
the houses are new, they rent readily and
at high figures, and sometimes they are
sold on the same scale. Soon, however, the
wear and tear of use and the weather be-
gin to be manifested, and then the decline
sets In. The rents are reduced, and after
a while they reach such a figure that the
class of tenants begins to dereriorate. Then
il may be said the neighborhood is the
downward course. The sufferers in this
progression are not the ones who have
made their money and gone off to other
fields, but the holders of adjacent property.
Good Building Weather.
The weather thus far in the winter and
during the fall months has been so mild
that out-of-d door work has gone without
interruption. This circumstance would be
of greater consequence had the demand
for buildings of all kinds been greater. in
creaSing the amount on hand of work of
this sort. However, builders have found
that they could go on with outdoor opera
tons in spite Of the fact that 1t is nearly
the middle of the first month of winter
The conditions are not always 50 favorable
even in this latitude although. after all,
it is only the exceptionable season that
, building is interrupted for any long period
| during the winter on account of the Severi-
| ty of the weather.
A good many householders have taken
! advantage of the mild weather to put the
| lawn spaces about their homes in good
, order, in some cases only providing the
usual top dressing. In other cases, where
| the soil has become impoverished and the
grass has died out. the ground is dug up,
I else new sod put down. The majority of
/ householders look carefully after these
I grass plots although the spaces are parts
| of the public streets. and keep them in as
good order If the ground was private
/ property.
Lawns in the City.
| In effect OF course, il Is, and for this
| reason property owners are willing to spend
Aney each year to have door yards pre-
| Sent a slightly appearance. 1t is one OF
| the features of the city which is always ad-
mired by strangers, who exclaim at the
beauty of the grass plots found in front of
/ private residences in all parts OF the city.
So. for public and private reasons, the
parkings are objects of care and attention
on the part of citizens.
| 1t is found by experience that grass is a
rather difficult crop to raise, especially
when it is the ambition to secure the vel.
vety appearance which is so much admired
and which is extremely difficult to main
tain The average citizen is content If he
succeeds in keeping the parking before his
door reasonably covered with some sort OF
green growth, anu Is not apt to inquire
whether that result is attained by iawr
grass or weeds, or a combination of both
The Art of Keeping Lawns.
1t is possible. however, to keep the ground
covered. If the proper means are adopted
land those who have lawns which are il