Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1905-07-23
ITALIAN GARDENS.
Tho Cedar, Cypress md the Orange
Trcc hlinplc Their Foliaue

Tho Cedar, CypreAs and the Orange
Tree Mingie Their Foliage.
Perhaps nothing about Italian gar
dens strikes us as 30 wonderful MS the
nrbor walks, or pcrgolas, where nature
seems so absolutely doclle to the hand
of man. The desire Is to make n dense
shade-a retreat where one cou shut
out the hot sun-and to create this trees
Of great many different sorts have
been planted close together und their
branches so carefully interviewer TINT
they form complete trellis on the two
/, Sides and above, SO TINT cedar, CYPRESS.
orange and lemon trees mingle their
foliage. oil seeming to be lighted up
by the pale GolilGn globes of tho fruit.
With us the mercSt twigs of such trees
would be supposed to have stubborn
Individuality, rendering 1t impossible
to train them to take the place Of vines.
In Italy for centuries everything has
been done to create n grateful shade at
noon. Where one can rest or sleep and
leave the world outside to the cicndas.
that, when thousands of them tukc
voice together at once, make rather a
soothing sound. Along the terraces of
the Nilln Carlotta, Oh the like Of
Como, these covered arbor walks lead
into groves Of ileXcs, and there until
past midsummer out OF the silence and
GOODNESS the nightingales sing not only
all,night, but all day long.
In spite Of the lavish beauty of the
land, the Impression that remains after
summer travel In Italy is Of the In
habitants living very close to nature,
almost subordinating her operations
to their own needs Nature is SO prun-
ed, 80 tended, her least effort 80 prcss-
ed into the service Of man. The plumy
Expresses, 1t Is true, have nothing to do
but stand sentinel by the belyidere ter
races; 40 with the ileXes. But the pop
lars are trimmed to tiagpolcs for tho
sake of fagots. and every leuf of the
mulberry trees. across which the vines
fling their tcstoons and garlands, is
destined to feed the silkworms, and
rs soon as the maggots are ready to
eat, the peasants, with huge bags. mount
the trees and strip each branch Of its
foliage. The olive orchards that mako
a oii'SA hiiol Oli tiic uiilSlucS uro DuSy
perfectlng their uscrul harvest.
Wherever ledge of rock offers an
Italian peasant makes n garden, carry
Ing up the soil sometimes into almost
inaccessible places. But there he will
plant lccks, herbs, salad and beans, be-
sides a patch Of wheat the latter not
for the half loaf OF bread it might
make, but to furnish straw to plait
hats in winter
Nature Is no nlggard. The little red
poDpies blossom out Of every Granny
and chink md make n blaze of color
In the most unexpected places. Clean
dera have way of tossing their tufts
of rosy blossoms nlong the white walls,
Bengal roses, Glove pinks, carnations
and larlispurs grow wherever they can
be tended and little rlll of water d.
rected to their use, but the summer OF
Italy Is Of great heat, and after the
great gush of flowers in spring tho
vauntcd italian gardens remain dry
intersections of graveled paths with
clipped hedges, flights of steps, urns
and statues Nothing can be denrer to
artistic taste, but for the real Joy of
gardening nothing can be equal to
what the poet Gray called having "a
garden Of your own. where you plant
and transplant and IRE dirty and
amused. Ledger.