The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1904-06-02
TOWN IMPROVEMENT
SOME POINTS ON 6EAuTIFYlNo THE
HOME GROUNDS.

bett, horticulturist, contributes the fol-
lowing article on beautifying the home
grounds:
The first essential In the adornment
OF home area is the formation Of a
suitable plan. Before tree or shrub
IS placed in permanent location an
outline map Of the area to be treated
should be made. The aim should be to
hide by means of trees and shrubbery
ail Objectionable buildings or portions
Of the place and also to shut from
view all unsightly objects maintained
by neighbors; to locate the trees and
shrubs SO as to allow an uninterrupted
line of vision where the outlook Is
pleasing.
Where shrubs and trees are needed
neither as screens nor windbreaks their
disposition should be such as will af-
ford pleasing effect and at the same
time preserve as large an area of un-
broken greensward as practicable. All
walks and drives on small lots should
be direct. The planting of trees and
shrubs or the placing Of fountains and
fagpoles In the course of a walk which
will cause the traveller to deviate from
his natural course is common but
Objectionable arrangement.
A perfect lawn is one Of the rareSt
possessions of either public or private
establishments. A good lawn demands
great skill and judgment in its making
as we'll as in its maintenance. The
chief charm of lawn consists in an
even stand of grass Of uniform color
kept closely mown. For permanence
a greensward consisting of blend of
grasses Is superior to one made from
a single sort
Newly established lawns should new
er be allowed to mature seed. FIRE.
quent clipping with the lawn mower,
If not made too close, tends to stimu-
late the stooling of the plants rather
than to interfere with their growth.
If the lawn is located in q dry section
or one subject to long periods Of
drought, 1t will be necessary to irrigate
OF. sprinkle. A little water is an In
Jury rather than a benefit. If watering
Is begun 1t should be done at night
rather than during the day and sutti-
cient water given to thoroughly wet
the soil. During the winter the new
lawn should have a dressing of coarse
litter or, If the soil is poor, of thorough
ly composted stable manure. If mel
ther Of these is available or desirable,
a fall dressing of bone meal will be
found very useful. In the spring, as
growth begins, the lawn should be rak-
ed with a steel tooth rake, all breaks
carefully filled in with turf or seeded
and the whole area rolled with a heavy
roller. Subsequent treatment will con-
sist In maintaining the moisture by
proper use of water and frequent clip
ping with the lawn mower.
The color effects in shrubbery planta-
tions come from massing sorts so
as to produce floral display each
month of the year. The flowers and
foliage of spring and summer contrib
ute to these results, and autumn colors
add a most desirable and valuable con-
tribution to the seasons panorama.
The bays of curved walks and drives
should be filled with groups Of shrubs,
SO that If there be no natural object for
the road to make curve around the
plantation will serve as substitute
for one and in so doing produce one of
the highest effects which can be secur-
ed in landscape gardening BY judi
clous use of plants In the bays of walks
and drives new and unexpected fea-
lures in the form of vistas, lawn pieces
or specimen plants can be brought be-
fore the observer, thus producing pleas
ant surprises and holding his interest.
The planting of bays or the masking
of walks and drives is one Of the fine
arts In landscape decoration. If care
and skill are exercised the interest Of
the visitor will not be allowed to flag,
for at each turn In the road some new
beauty Will appear. The sense Of dis
covery is an important one to be graft
fed.
Climbing plants meet demand in
the adornment of place which can
be filed neither by trees nor shrubs.
Trees and shrubs can be used to hide
unsightly objects from a distance, but
vines serve the same purpose as the
draperies of garment. They mask
by covering unsightly objects.
Vines have q peculiar value in dec
orative planting In that as a class they
are shade enduring. Since many vines
will thrive in partial shade as well as
in full sunlight they lend themselves
well to porch and arbor decoration. A
few have the power to attach them
selves to bare walls, giving the latter
an effect of aye, beauty and appro-
priateness which cannot be produced
by artists and architectural materials.
Two of the best vines for covering
walls are the Boston ivy and the Eng
lish ivy. Vines which attach them
selves to wire or wood supports and
are chiefly valuable because of their
covering and shading effects are the
clematis, the wistaria and the trumpet
flower, and as an arbor or trellis cover
none Of the vines is more useful than
the japanese honeysuckle. Two Of
our native vines which merit high
places are the five fingered Ivy and
the bittersweet.
1t may therefore be said in con-
clusion that to harmoniously arrange
trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants
and at the same time adjust them to
the contour of the place, the architec-
ture of the buildings and the con-
venienee of the walks and drives is
the aim of the landscape gardener. As
his guide and model he takes Nature,
and in so far as she is followed bis
work is pleasing.