Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-03-07


agriculture has issued for free distri-
| button q booklet on 'Beautifying the
| Home Grounds" II is a little too gen
eral and possibly too scientific for the
average dwelIer on city lot, who
wants only TO know how to make
three or four flower beds and care
for shrub and a tree or two. How
ever. it has some good suggestions
Some Of them follow:
TO tremendously arrange trees.
shrubs and hcrbaceous plants. and at
the same time adjust them to the con-
tour If the place. TO the architecture
Of the buildings and To the convent
encc of the walks and drives. is the
aim of the landscape gardener. As
his guide and model he takes nature
AMI in 50 far as she is followed. his
work is pleasing. Every successful at
tempt to adorn a city lot. a suburban
place, or park, has a valuable infiu-
ence upon the community in which ii
l. situated. 1t furnishes an object
lesson which others viii attempt to
follow. and in this way it serves the
useful purpose Of stimulating in 9th
ers a love for the beautiful in nature
Fortunately. the beauty which is pro-
Iuced by ornamental paintings can
not be Sclfishly kept fer the exclusive
use Cf its owner; every paSser-by can
take the fun measure of his capacity
without in the least Getractin@ from the
value of the pIGntatiGn To its owner.
Every person who plants a tree is
public benCfact0r.
The appropriate use of trees, shrubs
vines and hcrbaceous plants in the
adjournment Of city, village, suburban.
or country home grounds gives Il
charm and beauty which are interest
ing and pleasing to the pasSer-by. as
well as the occupant of the home.
Plants are q means Of expressing
rcstfulne>s and beauty. Their gradu-
al changing aspect with the succession
Of the seasons hightens with pleasing
effect and relieves monotony. The
changes which occur in the life cf veg
citation during the year have caused
men 10 speak of the stages Of human
existence a. the spring" summer"
and autumn" of life.
The leaf. the branch. ana the flower.
rs well "a the general form of the
plant. manifest grace and beauty
which art eudcavors to copy. While
art caunot take the place of nature.
1t nevertheless plays an important
part in teaching Us 10 see and appreci-
ate the beauties If nature. After the
eye has been trained to see. and the
mind to interpret the beauties which
the eye LcholdS. then association
with nature produces lis greatest eff !
feet.
In the artificial adornment Of
grounds by means OF plants. nature IS /
or best Instructor. From her we
learn the uses Of grass. flowers. vines !
shrubs and trees. and how to combine
them to the best advantage. BY grow
ing together for ages. the various
classes and species have developed !
forms, habits, and requirements which
enable them not only to live and
thrive in harmony. but actually to,
assist one another.
In general. trees should stand either
as single specimens in Isolated posi-
tious or in regular groups rather
than in long rows. Under certain con-
ditiCns long avenues Of trees regularly
disposed ON either side of a prominent
drive or vista may contribute Il very
pleasing and imposing effect to n
large place. The general rule for
trees also applies to shrubs, except
that their use should he chiefly in
groups or belts rather than as speci-
men plants. although specimen plants
are of value in forming plantations.
Few shrubs possess a sufficiently
graceful and characteristic habit of
growth TO make them pleasing OBJ
jectS when grown singly upon the
lawn. but where. number of speci-
mems of varying habit are brought
together in a single group. the differ