Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1913-05-29
BACK YARD FARMER
Interesting Pointers on Garden.
ing for the City Man or
Suburbanite.
WHAT TO PLANT AND WHEN
Advice BY an Expert on Aerievlsvssi
Mstters-BesvtifyIns the Fence
The Town co~-Hsdsss On
Small Lots,
BY PROF. JOHN WILLARD solra.

By PROF. JOHN WILLARD ooLvR.
The time once was when no hoas
was complete without its surrounding
fence. or possibly hedge. The fssos
idea Is an Inheritance from the -
cient days when each mans house vao
his fort and his fence Was likely to b
three-foot stone wall, 20 feet high.
Times changed. and the battlemsas.
ed walls were no longer needed. grad.
ually giving way TO more decorativs
and less expensive barriers. They
we're Just AZ necessary 40 during the
feudal times. however. because With
peace came increasing crops and IN
creasing cattle TO molest them. The
cattle ran at will and were Just %
fond OF trespassing In . vegetable let
as they now are.
For this reason every homo vas
fenced in. and the custom ssill prs-
walls universally in England and some
parts OF the continent II II hardly
respectable not to be fenced In thsrs.
This custom came to America, with
the first settlers. the Virginia colon-
lists using white picket fences largely,
and the Puritans developing that most
charming OF all fences. the New Ens.
land stone wall
Westward they moved. taking their
fences with them. Stone walls chanesa
TO rails and pickets to upended stumps,
until the timberless. stoneless plains
were reached. Here fences were
needed most OF all because this vas an
Ideal cattle country and increasing
numbers forbade their roaming at viii.
IL naturally was an American who in.
vented the barbed wire and woven
fencing. and today there are more
miles OF fence in America than In all
the rest OF the world combined.
OF late years we have begun to
awaken TO the fact that there are a.
vantages In not fencing in private
yards that are free from objsctioaabls
neighbors. We do not need fencss to
protect our front lawns from eattls
In our cities and suburbs. snd their
only value b . sentimental one. ny
removing the froa4yard fences froa 9
block OF surourban residences. vs .
cure the effect Of . saresk tutsa 4
vias and mseh nors svoessuo UBouno
abouf each housa-
II froaa osnDs - onulse1, ~ -
In keeping with the character OF n
house and grounds. While . tall. .
namental iron fence 10 the ideal tyD
for q formal city mansion, II 10 deci<
edly out Of place I'm . suburban se
ting. Nothing is prettier than . Witt
picket fence for . colonial DWELLING
and . cut stone wall 10 very attract
i've for large estates.
Fences for the city and coaasry
yards are still very popular. and
properly so. II is In the hack yard
that the garden grows, the children
play and the clothes hang out to dry.
Here is the waste paper barrel. the
garbage can. the ash pile and the
chicken yard. Let US have . little
privacy. a place where we do not have
to be presentable. Let US put . high
board fence or hedge or some other
screen around the hack yard. and do
Just as we please out there.
We can plant vines and fruit trees
against the fence and hide II. beside
making II bear tribute. A six.foot
board fence will serve the purpose. or
a lower one with . clump Of high
shrubs before IT. Cement walls may
be made az thin - three inches and
40 high AZ eight feet. II q more per.
manent fence il desired