Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-05-13


| do started the fashion. and presently
| the landlords Of the poor utilized it
| But the poor man or woman need Tho
| protection of u fence far more than The
well-to-do, if they are to have !
garden. Scores of dWellerS in poor
| homes attempt to establish some flora
beauty about them, and fail for this
| reason. But Il great boon to the home
gardener is wire fencing and netting
with which ever SO many things may
be done ut Il quarter or tenth of what
they enc would have cost. The old
fashioned fence was costly, pcriShablt
and ugly, the hedge had to be tight OF
it did not inclose. With netting, the
hedge may be as loose as you please,
and the fence rows undulating, while
with definite bounds and corners we do
not need to be reminded of Mr.. Ohm
sted's maxim: Take care of the cor
ncrs and the centerS will take care OF
themselves
\ happy thing about gardening is
that where it is bad you can always
in timc-make it good. Neither plants,
beds nor paths should be considered as
laid out for good to stay where they
are. Father should they be Looked on
as the furniture of a house, to be re-
arranged from time to time. A shrub
may be in place for 4 few seasons, and
quite out of place thereafter, because
Of excessive growth or Encouragement
of other things. Few shrubs are i'll
iurcd by careful and even repeated
TRANSFORMING: many are benefited by
the root-pruning, division. change of
soil and exposure. TranSplanting is
part of gardens good discipline, al
most as necessary as pruning. The
Owner, even of an American garden,
should rule his garden, not be ruled by
it.
Much care is taken 10 recommend the
pCruSal of books on gardening. once
this gentle art was largely kept a close
secret of craftsmen, but now All that
can be put into book; is in books, and
the books are non-tcChnical. brief ana
Inexpensive; or if Volunnnu& ard
costly. as some Of tn" best needs must
be. arc in the public libraries. In their
pages are Il host Of facts GnlcXcdi)
which once had to be burdcnsumoIy re-
mcIUh"rrd. For ono rrroc"uri"i with
other carcG-ls cvcry anct"ur iradcn"r
ought to he-thcsc books are no mean
part Of his equipment; they arc as ne
ccssHry to his best gardening rs the
dictionary to his best English.
We conclude this abstract of 4 de-
liChtful papcr-whi:'h should be read in
its entirely with 2 description Of the
Northampton garden which won the
capitol prize Of 1903. "A cottage Of
maybe six rooms crowns high bank
on Il corner where two rural streets
cross. There arc Il few square yards OF
lawn III its front. ANA Stiil fewer on the
side next the lower street, hut on the
other two sides there is nearly q quar-
ter Of an>acrc. On these two sides the
limits touch other gardens, ana Ill four
sides are entirely without fencing.
From the front sTarl have been taken
away Il number Of gooI shrubs which
once broke it into Intellectual bits. AMI
these have been grouped against the
inward and outward angles Of the
house. The front porch is carIandcd
with vines whose flowers arc all white.
pink, blue or light purple About the
base Of tho porch ana of all the houses
front bloom flowers of these same deli
cate tintS, the tallcSt nearest tho house
the lesser at their knees and feet. The
edges Of the bcdS-gcntle waves that
never degenerate to straight ncSs;-are
thickly hordcrcd with mignoncttc. Not
an audacious thing, not red blossom
nor a strong yellow one, nor one proud
leaf, nor any mass OF dense or dark
foliage, comes into view until orc
reaches a side Of the dwelling. But
there at once he finds the second place
in crcsccndo Of floral colors. The
base Of the house, and especially those
empty cyc-SocketS the cellar windows
are yelled in exultant bloom, yellow
predominating. Then at the back Of
the place comes the full charm. and
red flowers overmastcr the yellow.
though the delicate tints with which
the scheme began are still present to
preserve the dignity and suavity Of all
the ladies of the feast. The paths are
only one or two. and they never turn
abruptly and ask you to keep off their
corners; they have none. Neither have
the flower beds; they flow wideningly
around the hard turnings of the house
with the grace of a rivulet. out on the
two wider sides of the lawn nothing
breaks the smooth green but q we'll