Milford chronicle., 1907-06-07
MILFORD GRANGE HOLDS
INTERESTING MEETING.

The Grange meeting held on June let
was in charge of the ladies, Miss Carrie
Houston presiding. There were piano
solos by Miss Edna KespeTt and Miss
Lula lie Compt Miss Sallie Cain re-
cited and Miss Houston lead a paper
on the topic for discussion, How to
Beautify Our Country Homes" This
paper covered the ground 80 completely
that it will be interesting to all who
are attracted by this subject and was
as follows:
"In going through the country ore
sees a sameness in the way the vast
majority Of farmers arrange the grounds
around their homes, that is, small
yard enclosed with fence, a few shade
tress set so close to the house that often
the sun cannot shine on the house, with
q little grass and weeds growing under
the dense shade. Perhaps a straight
walk leading from the front door to the
road, which is used only on Sunday.
Why is there this sameness among
farmers in the so called beautifying of
their home grounds? The question is
easy to answer, for one of NatuIes
greatest and truest laws is, similarity Of
effects result from similarity Of causes" "
"Man by nature Is an animal who
initiates, or in other words is governed
in more or less degree by what his
neighbor does. If his neighbor has a
small and cramped yard fenced in
around his house, he must have one
like it. The first essentials toward beau
tifying a home in the country, are clean
illness and order, and house and out
buildings kept repaired and painted.
Now in laying out the grounds around
the home we must adapt ourselves to
the natural surroundings and condi-
tfons. There is no stated rule to follow
in making the home attractive as each
one has to work according to the means
and help they have, but every one can
do something toward attaining the de-
sired result. If the yard is tC be small,
owing to a scarcity of land, then have
only a few trees set far enough from
the house and from each other so they
may have ample room to develop, for
Nature never can grow a beautiful tree
if it is crowded.
"With a tree here and there so sun
light can find the ground grass will
grow. A few clumps Of shTubbery might
add to the effect and if space permits,
a bed for flowers. Though the old fash
toned Southern garden apart from the
lawn proper appeals to us as the most
satisfactory way TO grow flowers, especi-
ally where many are desired. Walks
should be few, and not straight, where
a graceful curve is possible. 1t looks
stiff to see trees all set in a line, flowers
in rows, and walks all straight. ItisnOt
Natures way, and the nearer we can
follow Natures way the nearer we ap-
proach the true ideal ofa beautiful cOun-
try home. Love of Nature will greatly
assist in the efforts to beantify the
home and will turn into pleasure work,
that might otherwise seem drudgery.
mature is so lavish in supplying US
with the useful and beautiful that we
need Aot 90 to the nursery for Ornamen-
tai trees unless fruit and nut trees are
desired for shade-but 60 to the forest
where pine, cypress, holly, dogwOod,
maple and many other trees are to be
had for the digging. The maple is
especially beautiful with its shaded red
flowers, which come out early in the
spring and are later followed by the
seed pods and in the fall after many
other trees have dropped their leaves
the maple is gorgeous in crimson and
gold. The wood fern which grows in
abundance, will bear transplanting to
some shady nook near the house and
after its long winter nap will give US
great pleasure when it pushes its deli
cate green fronds through the soil at
the first approach Of spring.
"With a large yard and ample means
the arrangement of the grounds would
be different and comparatively easy.
But whatever the circumstances-even
should we be obliged to depend on
whitewash and morning glOries for our
decorations the country home is to us
what the June day was to Lowell when
he wrote, "Tis as easy then for the heart
to be true, AS grass to be green, or skies
to be blue. 'Tis the natural way Of liv-
ing.'"