LANDSCAPE GARDENING. Landscape gardening is one of the departments of Horti culture, by which the effect of a natural scenery is heightened by art, or by which a mon otonous area is regdered beautiful, by means of walks, driv0;, lakes, bridges. rock-work, and the planting of trees, shrubs, and flowers. In fact, in its broad sense, it is high art, in which but few professionals ever arrive at high emi nence. So far as the present work is concerned, it not be necessary to go into the minutia of details. To point out some means by which the farmer may beautify his home, and give illustrations of nature's, and of artificial work, will be sufficient Many farmers seem to be im bued with the idea, that time and money spent in beautifying the grounds about the home is tinie and money thrown away, and yet there is DO means that may be employed that will give so much pres ent satisfaction, or that will more enhance the value of a property if it is to be sold. In this they are not altogether to blame. They have been taught to believe that it could only be accomplished at a large outlay of money, and through the labor of a professional gardener. Nothing, how ever, could be more fallacious. It is not merely artificial surroundings that they are to create, but to take advantage of the natural beauties of a home and heighten these by bringing the grass into a close and smooth sward, to lay out and build walks and drives, and so arrange the planting of tlie whole that it inay be partially shaded with handsome trees, and to shut out offensive objects by closer planting. In fact the whole farm is to be considered. If there is an unsightly knoll near crown it -with deciduous and evergreen tiees. If there is a depression, some parts of which are marshy, form a lake, and from it a small stream to carry away the outflow, taking advantage of any facility that may offer to drain the balance. Plant the edges of the pond with weeping or other willows, and thus three important objects are subserved, drainage, water, and shade. In nine cases out of ten the drained land will pay the cost of the whole. If there is a meandering water coune running through a valley, clear the banks, leaving clumps of elms, maples, and lin dens at the bends here and there Cover the banks with a firm sward of grass, and here again three objects are attained; superior pasturage, available water, and shade. In time the groups of timber will grow into trees, when they may be thinned and the surplus sold. There should be woodland on every farm, and if one can take advantage of land otherwise of little value for the planting, two objects again are attained: a provision of timber for the future, and a land scape effect that will be pleasant to the eye. In all this do not seek the picturesque, it is only here and there a place th'at can be height ened by picturesque planting, and these situa tions, picturesque in themselves, as for instance where there is a waterfall or rugged scenery. Sylvan beauty is what is wanted on the farm, and in no country in the world is the ground work more carefully laid by nature than in the West, where we have undulating prairie. There are but. few farms where a permanent thread of water may not be supplied by artificial drainage intelli gently conducted, and what is more beautiful than the soft haze lying about distant bits of woodland in the spring. The cool, invitingshade in summer, and the gorgeous splendor of the. autumn when the maples are blazing with t'-.eir many tints, while the other trees tone down their beauty with their more sober hues. It is the home grounds, however, that require the nicest atten tion. Here there should be plenty of room. A five acre lot is none too much for the farmer's home, for none can better afford it than he, and here it is grass and trees that beautify. Plenty of grass and only trees enough to shade it here and there. This may be partitioned off with light wire fences, to afford pasturage to sheep, calves and colts, or the grass may be mown so it need not be lost. If the ground be somewhat broken plant the knolls with chimps of trees just so as to break the view but not to shut out the vista beyond. Do not have too many roads and walks, these cost money, for they should be well made, and at least have the appearance of being made for use. Above all, never make the mistake of setting a pnetentious mansion down on the prairie, with nothing about it but rough fences and rank herbage. The owner of a fine house without anything about it to tone down its glaring exte rior, has made one of the most comfortless mis takes possible. A cottage, however humble, shaded hy trees and with its vine-clad porch, with a winding path, gladdened with a few flow ers, leading to it, as far more beautiful as it is far more homelike. Other things heing equal, the farm with its pretty cottage and comfortable barns, protected by wind-breaks, and enlivened here and there with clumps of trees, will bring far more money, than the other with its horn like mansion and its bleak surroundings. How this will look may be seen in the cut of a Southern Homestead on page 553. Mr. McWor ter, one of the most observing and practically scientific horticulturists in the West has given the following ideas on making a homestead. They will well repay perusal. He says : Not to dwell at length ou the various mistakes most commonly made in homestead arrangements, it may be briefly stated people are generally too stingy of the little bit of ground around the house ; they allow no ground for shady lawns or homestead scenery ; they fence themselves up in a little narrow door-yard, and then to save steps'in doing chores they get the barn and its numerous appendages closely and conspicuously located, if not exactly in front of the house, at least so as to break the view to the road in a side direction. In short, the arrangements for the comfort, convenience • and pleasure of cattle, hogs, chickens and children, are too closely mixed and commingled together. Even people who are anxious to have everything very nice, conceive of no way only the old, stiff, rectangular square rule plans for every thing—every thing is brought to straight lines and square fences all straight, gate exactly in front, a straight walk to the front door, shade trees ranged in exact military order. Such grounds present no pleasing variety—nothing but the tiredome sameness of straight lines and gular forms. It is difficult to give any very inite rules for homestead arrangements, because scarcely any two situations are exactly alike. But, to bring the matter to your minds, we will suppose you are about to prepare for yourself a country home. You are inspired with the beauties of nature—you have listened to the music of the pines ; and nature's picturesque scenery and flowing outlines have nearly expelled the old rectangular, iron square plans all out of your mind. You first choose your building site. You do not choose the most level portion of your farm; cause for your building sites, groves, orchards, and general homestead scenery, you prefer grounds somewhat rolling ; and for farming-purposes you prefer the level lands. You choose a site for your house on a rising swell of ground, some ten or twelve rods from the road. You want room in front of your house for some breadth of g-rassy lawn, and some pleasing diversity of landscape scenery. You next cide on a spot for your barn, back of your house, and not too near, because you want room back of your house for garden and fruit-yard ; for you know it is in bad taste to have a up kitchen garden next to the road. Having chosen the place for your barn and feed-lots off back of the house, you want a lave from these to the public highway ; but y-ou do not want this lane to infringe on the grounds of your house-yard, and you give this lane a graceful curve around your buildings. You border this lane with large trees—it gives a rich expression to your stead and furnishes grateful shade. You plant trees of large growth back Of your house, that will rise above the house and partially screen the barn and its appendages from view. You do not commit the blunder of planting all your evergreens exactly in front of the house; because you know, though they might look well enough there at first, they will, in time, grow to broad proportions, and even darken the light of your windows, and nearly hide your house from view. You group the evergreens mostly off in side directions, to the right and left; only allowing a few of symmetrical form and smaller growth on the grounds in front. You plant perhaps a few trees of large growth at the extreme outer border of your grounds, along the road. You avoid getting your front grounds too much filled up with low shrubbery; for you prefer that your front views shall sist mostly, of a clean, grassy lawn, with only a few scattering trees to afford a pleasing play of sunshine and shadow. In short, you desire to have your largest trees back of your house, and breaking round in irregular groups toward the road, with only scattering trees in front. When your trees have grown up, your house, when viewed from the road, will appear to stand back in a kind of bay, partially encircled with a rich background of sylvan scenery, and having a breadth of green lawn in front. It is a very 'common error to plant too many trees in front, _and not enough back of the house, and off at the., wings. If a natural grove of young timber -should be on the ground you have selected for your homestead, you will consider this very for tunate. The most charming situations are such as are already adorned with a growth of young -timber. You will make such improvements on what nature has supplied at your hands as good taste and landscape effect will suggest. If you can preserve a natural grove of some extent, -contiguous to your building ground, you will consider youl'self especially favored. Nothing could add more to the sylvan attractions of a homestead. A country that is di
vested of its natural groves is bereft of its richest garlands of beauty. In ing trees and laying out grounds you will imitate nature's rounded turns and flow ing outlines, so as to make groups of ever greens and masses of shade trees present a scenery of wild diversity. The aspect of your situation, or make of ground, will suggest natural curves or rounded turns to the outside boundary of your grounds. You will determine on the place for your entrance gate—not exactly in front of the house, but off in a side direction, so as to afford a richer view of the architectural forms of the house, and also to afford more changing views in the scenery of your grounds. Perhaps a gate for foot men will enter your grounds, in a side direction, fran the one side, and the car riage Er,ate off at the other. Your carriage drive may either pass by a graceful curve in front of your house, and thence around your house; and off back to the barn, or (what is better) it may curve up near the house, and then wind its way toward the barn. Your walks, also, should take such easy turns or winding...8 as the make of your ground or groups of trees will sug gest. There should always be some seem ing necessity for any or all turus in your walks. It is often proper to plant groups of trees to occasion a necessity for such turns in a -walk or carriage-drive. Fences are obstructions in landscape scenery, and should only be built where absolutely necessary. Where a fence' is indispensable, as along the public highway, it .should be such as will obstruct the view as little as possible. If swine are excluded from the public highways, (as they should be in evcry civilized communit3-,) fences may be constructed in good taste, that will be very little obstruction to landscape views. Out door-yard fences -should be no higher than necessary—if a picket fence, let it be of square pickets, and as wide apart as security will permit. Do not paint your fences white. It is froni a want of due Mice tion that people so often commit the error of _painting their boundary fences white. A glar ing white picket fence should never be placed in front of a beautiful landscape. The ostentatious white fence stands there in self-display, and attracts all attention from the landscape scenery beyond the fence. Let the fence be painted in some color that will harmonize with the bark of the surrounding trees, such as a sober drab, or the softer shades of ' brown. For objects of ornament, that stand back in some shady portion of the grounds, such as a pretty summer house, for a small building, partially screened by trees, ors if a low cottage, white is not inap propriate for the dwelling itself ; but for buildings of any considerable architectural pro portions, other shades of color are preferred. Having thus rapidly presented some general prin ciples in the arrangement of homestead scenery, we will briefly add a few suggestions on the management of grounds. In commencing the work of preparing a homestead on wholly naked ground, it is advisable to first plow and harrow the entire grounds. Your whole plan is next laid out and staked off. Your trees are planted by experienced -workmen. Knowing the import ance of giving your trees vigorous growth on the start, you decide to cultivate the whole ground for a few years. You perhaps appro priate the more open portions to some low, hoed crops. A_ good, steady single horse and careful driver may be employed in the work of cultiva tion. After two or three years of this treatment, 3-our trees get a luxuriant start and begin to pre sent a pleasing aspect; and you finally prepare your grounds for seeding. This, iu favorable seasons, should be done in August, so that if the August seeding is not a success, another sowing or seeding can be made ver3- early in the spring. It is not very important what kind of grass seed is used, provided some blue grass sued is mixed with it—the bluegrass will ultimately occupy the ground. In preparing grounds for seeding, no labor should be spared in getting the surface perfectly even. After your grounds are seeded, it may be necessary to uurse the growth of some of your favorite trees by mulching, or by sur rounding them with circular flower beds. You will not neglect the frequent and timely use of the lawn mower. What can be more charming than an expanse of closely mown lawn, enliv ened by the lights and shadows of sylvan scenery? Your walks, also, must be kept free frofn weeds. A few of your evergreens most contiguous to the house may be kept trim med in neat symmetrical forms; but those in more remote portions of your grounds should be allowed to assume a free growth and natural proportions. As illustrating natural scenery the cuts will show, first. a Southern forest scene, second, a northern forest scene. As illustrating great natural beauty, when water forms the prin cipal feature, tbe illustration sho-wing islands in the Mississippi will suffice. From the fact that it would occupy too mueh space to go into the details of landscape work from a vvorking standpoint, and frotu the added fact , that no two places should be treated alike, we leave these suggestions as they are ; but as a means of edu cating the eye to purely artificial work, so that when nature's effects have been heightened by art, and to natural picturesqueness, and also to sylvan landscapes, we have interspersed through this article landscapes which explain themselves. A few words as to the trees for planting will not be out of place. The barns and other farm build ings should be well protected, especially in prairie regions. Strong winds require strong trees, and cold winters warm shelter. Oaks, maples and elms, among deciduous trees and the Norway Spruce, white pine and firs, among evergreens, will be proper. Cottonwood, and other soft wooded trees may be allowed for a time while other trees are growing; but for permanent ing, they give a cheapening—not to say wise—appearanee, and where they are allowed to tangle with and overgrow better trees, a slovenly, not to say shiftless, appearance, while the other class express strength, sturdiness, independence and retirement. The common mistake made in new places is too thick planting, and especially in negligence in thinning. There is, however, objection to rather thick planting of young trees but be sure you thin before there is even an appearance of crowding. Among the most ful of deciduous trees is the hard maple on able soil. On well drained prairie soil, although rather slow at first, it will clothe itself in the most luxurious foliage, and grow more and more beautiful year by year. The red or swamp maple, on moister soil, is some in summer and magnificent in autumn. A weeping willow is always. beautiful in a valley or near water, and next to it the black willow. The golden willowis also beautiful in early spring, looking like a light green cloud in the distance. The elm is always beautiful and assumes so many graceful and pendent forms when planted singly that it should not be neglected. The Linden (basswood) is among the most beautiful of trees in summer where it has plenty of room to spread. It is on the whole a cleanly tree, handsome in its bloom at midsummer, and its broad leaves are somewhat tropical in pearance. Among shrubs for ment the planter must be guided by circumstances. Small flowering may be interspersed about the lawn and herbaceous perennials may form center pieces for beds of flowers, or be placed nearer the house. In all cases when the planter may be in doubt, if practical descriptive text books be not at hand, the nearest telligent nurser3rman should be sulted. Nevertheless, the intelligence of tbe female portion of the household may here be generally relied ou to. guide correctly, in the arrangements and care of beds. So also their taste will be generally correct as to proper planting of trees, shrubs, curves of walks and drives. In regard to the planting of trees and shrubs avoid straight lines. A good plan in the setting of trees and groups, is to provide a tall stake that may be easily seen from a considerable distance, and the requisite number of smaller stakes. Let the assistant be sent on the ground to be planted to hold the stake, while the director stations himself from the point of view, as the porch of the house, etc. ; direct the stakes to be set, so no two of them will come in line, at least not near together. Once they are fixed from the principal point of view, ceed to another principal point,. and if there is a glaring defect, as seen from thence, have it fied by moving the offending stake to another position that will not interfere with the view from the first point. Thus you may get your planting so it will easily harmonize as a whole, and it will have been accomplished itt a mini mum outlay- of time. In preparing your grounds, you have the satisfaction of having not only accomplished a work not generally supposed pos sible for farmers, but of having illustrated that it is not difficult. That it only requires a little thought and the display of original ingenuity. Neither of these are really difficult to him who should be as observant of what is going on about him iu nature and art as the farmer. Because one labors with his hands it is no sign that he may not be an artist. In fact the inspiration of art seldom comes unsought or without thought. In conclusion we also present several forms of beds carefully prepared by Mr. H. DeViy, Assistant Superintendent of Lincoln Park, Chi cago, from the more simple to those somewhat intricate with a list of plants proper for planting therein. The taste of the female portion of the family. however, may be relied on to make these beautiful with other flowers, annual, biennial, and perennial. The idea being to so blend color, form and size that the whole shall make a harmonious picture.
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