The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1903-11-25
BEAUTIFYING HOMES AND STREETS.
Mr.. LOring Presents the Gospel of Beauty
for Home Surroundings.

Mr.. G. M. Loring of Minneapolis
who has accomplished much in the
way of street and park improvement
in his home city, gave Redwoo peo
pie the benefit of some of his exper.
fences and observations along thai
line last Thursday evening. A good
sized audience was present. Among
the number were a hundred or more
pupils of the public schools, and it
is to be regretted that others of our
young people missed splendid
educational opportunity.
Before the speaking, Mrs. G. w.
Dickinson favored the audience with
humorous recitation, responding
to an enthusiastic recall with little
sketch in negro dialect. c. NJ. Lor-
ing was then cleverly introduced by
F. L. Warner, president of our local
improvement association.
Mr.. Loring explained that he had
hoped to visit Redwood Falls last
spring, and his coming at this time
was in fulfillment of a promise made
at that time, when he was detained
in California. The stereopticon is
an important adjunct in enforcing
Mr.. Loring S theories. Illustrations
OF homes in many lands, from the
Indian tepee or peasants hut to the
homes of wealth and refinement in
New England, California, and many
European countries were thrown
upon the screen and contrasted soas
to enforce some lesson in the plant
ing and groupingo trees and shrub
berry.
In the first place, trees should be
planted so they will grow. Make
holes three feet or more across for
young forest trees, fill with good
garden loan, and trim broken roots.
Give the roots a good soaking once
in two weeks. Sprinkling or even
an ordinary shower did no good to a
newly-planted tree.
A common fault is to plant TIRE es
too close together. In Minneapolis
the park board had adopted 33 feet
as the rule, but if he were to lay out
a town, the limit would be 40 feet.
In some cases small-sized trees
might be planted between and cut
out later.
One series of views showed what
had been accomplished by tree lover
in Nebraska prairie town in nine
years. The effect was revolution
airy, the fast-growing catalpa Being
used largely to bring about the re-
suit in a short time. Mr.. Loring
would like to see this ornamental
tree planted. Although semi-tropi-
cal, catalpa speciosa (not the tender
species) was hardy in Minneapolis. |
An interesting showing was made
OF the actual work accomplished by
societies at Dayton, 0. )
at Hutchinson in this state, and |
other places. Mr.. Loring pointed |
out where the best effects were OBJ |
tanned by grouping shrubbery at
the sides and corners of Enclosures,
leaving green open spaces in the
center. Avoid dis6guring a lawn
by crowding in shrubbery.
The moral effect of beautiful sur
roundings was suggested by views
of the old tenderloin tenements of
New York city, pulled down by the
efforts of Jacob Riis and his asso-
ciates and replaced by play -grounds
and parks at a cost of millions of
well-spent dollars.
The financial argument. for i'm
proving property was touched upon,
Mr.. Loring admitting that he got his
financial start in life by making sew
eral successive homesteads in Min
neapolis so attractive that buyers
came to him with offers of fancy pri-
ces, which Mr.. Loring pocketed.