Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1919-1980, 1920-04-24
Beautiful Salem
Lecture Attended
.byCapacityCrowd

The lecture on IA more Beautiful
Salem" by Howard Eyarts Weed,
landscape architect of Portland, at
the library last night was listened to
by an audience that filled the audi
,torium of the building The talk was
generally conceded Ito be one OF the
best of its kind ever delivered in the
CITY, Mr.. Weed and the Salem Arts
league which brought him here, re-
ceiving much praise for the effort put
forth to aid in beautifying the capital
city.
Mr.. Weed covered the general prin-
ciples of many subjects = railway
planting, formal and informal gar
,dens, parks, children's Fairgrounds,
modern park cemeteries, driveways,
streets, billboards, beautifying the
grounds surrounding manufacturing
plants and factories, and last but of
greatest interest to Salem rolk, call
ed attention to our good and bad
points in exterior decorating.
Grouping Plan PIeases
He was pleased with the grouping
of the public buildings here, but la
mented the arrangement of the wind
ing walks leading to some of them. A
slightly curved walk, ne stated, Is a
thing of beauty, but one that writhes
snake like, upon the ground Is any,
thing but beautiful. The shade trees
of the city, for the most part, he con-
sidered out Of harmony. A survey
should be made. and certain streets
be given up to certain trees. The Nor
way maple, he said, was adaptable
for this purpose generally, but the
English walnut should never be used
as it developed to too great size. He
He shoYed pictures of homes, tree
bordered in East Orange, N j., the
first city in the U. S. to employ a
municipal forester. to plant and care
for the trees.
He decried the incongruous bill
board, stating that advertising should
be confined to the daily newspaper
and magazines instead of frenziedly
flung in the faces of pedestrian and
He did not know whether or not
the system of planting roses along
the parking was instituted in Salem
or Portland; at any rate the plan was
Roses do not lend them
selves to this purpose successfully,
the foliage is too far spaced, and the
ugly branches and body showing too
plainly. Roses should be cultivated
very much as a vegetable garden
for their product. If one must have
along the parkings, one
should plant small shrubs. the Japa-
nese barberry being suggested.
Says Houses Misplaced
He pointed out the mistake made
by most home builders, of placing
their house in the very center Of their
lot. This gave no room for landscape,
where, with the house set to one side.
A sense of breadth and space could
be obtained. providing the plotting OF
.he ground was consistently done. He
urged folk to get away from the un-
slightly arrangement of star and cres-
cent flower beds scattered over the
lawn, and of the planting of trees in
prim rows. Small shrubs should be
set about the base of the house, form
Ing a connecting link with the lawn.
which should be kept free from shrub
berry and flower beds until it reached
its extremity. Tall shrubs around the
boundary Of yard, and at their base
Of many descriptions were
effective, the taller ones at the back.
lower ones graduating to the fore.
Oftentimes a bit of shrubbery con-
cealing a portion of the rear yard
was good. and gave greater depth
TO the vista.
Mr.. Weed emphasized the gallardia
as most satisfactory perennial. also
the peony. Iris. Of which there are a
thousand varieties. phlox, gladioii,
<<s.e.-z -.