VOL. XXXII.
So
INDIANAPOLIS. IND., MAY 1, 1897.
NO. 18
EXPERIENCE DEPAK
TASTE AND BEAUTY ABOUt_VI___f
EOME OUTSIDE THB HOUSE
Including  Fainting,  Lawn,   Flowera,
Fences   etc
1st Premium—In order to make the
home most beautiful, taste and skill are
in greater demand than money, although
money is needed.
The first consideration is to have all
buildings properly located, substantially
and neatly erected, then kept well paint-
ad and in good repair. The painls should
be selected to suit the size, location, and
quality of each building. One may often
oopy from others to advantage.
The fewer fences, and the less conspicuous the better. There certainly is no
prettier fence than a well kept osage
hedge. But lest I be set down as "not up
to date" I will recommend the woven
wire instead, which Is all that oan be desired as a fence, with the additional
merit of not requiring paint, neither harboring weeds or vermin. For divisions
between front and back yards, and as
aoreens to shut oft views of stables and
outbuildings, arbor vilte is prettiest,
whilst privet, mixed altheas, splreas or
other neat growing shrubs are very ornamental, and will entice many song birds
to build near the home. _
If a wire fence Is preferred, it tnay be
draped with the evergreen or variegated
honeysuckle, perennial peas, sweet peas
or other ornamental vines. Also all
rongh walls and fences where stock will
not injure them, are capital places to
train traits and grapevines, saving space
and extra trejllses. I would even plant
-wistaria and akebia to twine np the naked
frame of the old windmill, clothing it
with garments of living beauty, which
will keep themselves in good repair after
being once planted.
Scarcely second as regard to looks is a
nicely graded and perfectly sodded yard
or lawn. Nothing will make amends for
a lack of this.
If large in extent, it will be all the
more Interesting with any natural prom'
inenoe or undulations, provided these are
suitably and artistioally planted.
Shade trees should first be located;
some near to the entrance to the home;
others along the margins, near walks and
driveways, not to closely nor too
many, but easily and naturally, copying
nature as nearly as possible. Still others must protect the home from the hot
sun. Securing comfort in doors, and cool
shady retreats withont, dnring sultry
weather, yet without being so close as to
make the home damp and gloomy dnring
long rainy weather.
The centre of the lawn should have little planting, being left open as the prettiest setting for all ornamental planting,
for the free nse of the mower, for games,
With our abundant supply of bean-
etc.
Hful native trees and shrubs, there will
be less demand for the professionals, ex-
cept that transplanted trees grow more
'esdllythan those dlreot from their native haunts. To give warmth and variety
during winter some well chosen evergreens, to be equally located are needful.
Do not have plants and shrnbs scattered promiscuously over the entire
•»wn. Rather put them in large clumps,
"everal of a kind, and In long irregnlary
shaped borders, along walks, near the
drives, eto.
Many of the hardy bulbs and herbaceous perennial plants will flourish even
better when planted amongst shrubs, receiving partial shade daring, sninme^
and protection from cold in winter, and
•re surprisingly beantlful thus located.
The selection of kinds, and the location
M beds, clamps, Isolated specimens, $8r-
a«rs, eto., would require much more
•Pace than I can command, and will be a
nftsj. interesting and profitable study to
any interested in floriculture and home
adornment.
Whatever else Is lacking, one mnst
have some favorite sweet and bright
summer bloomers. There is a large
list from which to choose. We prefer
a bed of sea roses, bordered with
carnations or hardy pinks, whilst for table decoration sweet peas, mixed nasturtiums and gladiolus are unequalled. If
lt is desired to economize time and labor,
by selecting the best hardy bulbs, biennial and perennial plants, which mostly
self sow, one may have a constant display
of floral beauty from middle of February
until after frost, yet often bedi of these
are almost indipensable.
Cnt pretty figures neatly in the sod and
remove it. Spade and enrich the earth,
planting only kinds In eaoh bed that harmonizes well. A bed 6x12 feet filled with
mixed hyacinths may be advantageously
planted with single petunias, being largely white, with a few bright colors. Start
the plants in a box early and plant eight
inches apart between the rows of bulbs.
Whilst not new or rare, we know of no
plants that furnish so fine a distant effect
on the lawn, for so long a period. Ton
will be proud of it whatever else you
have.
There are other combinations and arrangements so lovely it is hard to desist
enumerating some, yet I forbear. Few
things, add more to the comfort and
beauty of the home than well chosen
and neatly kept vines. For a briokor
stone wall the Virginia creeper has no
equal among the ironolads. Being small
wooded, of rapid growth, it clings and
will creep to the very gables, decorat-
ingand festooning windows with
a graceful network of delicate
vines, which with the advantage of their
dark blue berries in large clusters, or
long crimson stems, together with the
autumnal tints in all shades of yellow
and scarlet are beautiful beyond compare. Its leaf stalks are so long they
permit a perfect cironlation of air, yet seenre the walls alike from both sun and
rain.
The akebia quinati is our prettiest
vine, having dusters of thick, glossy,
dark green, beantlful foliage, clustering
to its very feet, and never troubled with
any insect. The vines are delicate, yet
quantities of them no larger than a knitting needle, and with their clusters of
leaves in all sizes at each joint, their entire length, combined with plum colored
clusters of begonia shaped flowers render
it very beautiful Indeed.
No other hardy vine so gracefully
twines around porch pillars and balconies, or between bay windows, festooning and draping cornioes ln the most
beautiful and artistic manner Imaginable. Both the vine and foliage ot the
large flowering clematis are the very opposite in appearance, whilst yet so popular by making so gay a display of bright
flowers. Two or more colors combined
enhances their beauty, aud some neat
pretty vine may be made to grow up and
conceal tbeir own ugliness.
A choloe small collection well cared for
will afford more pleasure than a large
nnmber that must be left with little or
no care. The enjoyment to be derived
from a large and good collection, artistically planted and carefully attended
can soaroely be over estimated.
Sarah A. Pleas.
with the piokets oft and the gates hanging on one hinge.   So with the slightest
notice of our buildings and fencing needing repairs we should be ready to use the
hammer and nails freely.   And the paint
brush too, if lavishly used will not only
keep the things ln  good  condition,  but
will help to beautify tbe home. Never allow old rubbish of  any kind  to accumulate.   What ls more disgusting than old
shoes, tin cans, broken Jars  and  dishes
thrown   around  the  yard, or just   far
enough under the house  that vou occasionally catch a glimpse of them?   Our
lawn should have our utmost attention to
be attractive and admired, the weeds and
wild grass must be commanded to find
another  place for their riotous habit If
not pluoked  from  the  lawn they will
eventually spoil the most beautiful yard.
The walks are very  important and no
home is complete without them.   There
ts no family that is so poor but they can
have good walks around the dwelling and
to  thoir  out-bnildlngs.   Whatever they
may be made of—stone, concrete, brick,
plank or gravel, they are useful and Inviting and we all  can  have  our  shade
trees with only a little work and trouble
to plant them.   What Is more pioturesque
than shade trees suitably planted around
our home?   We simply must have them
for their generous and refreshing breezes.
Around - this  carefully   arranged home
flowers  are not  to be forgotten.  Their
presence  should  b«  ln every available
spot, if there should be an old stump ln
the yard let It be covered with some vines
or climbing roses to hide the rude appearance lt gives.   Also plant some everlasting flowers that you may never be without flowers. E. B. F.
Si Premium— It Is only with an ever
watchful eye that the surroundings of
our homes are kept beautiful and neat.
We must be on the alert and ready to repair anything that is going to decay,
There;is .nothing that gives a home a
more dilapidated appearance, than a roof
dotted over with holes where the shingles have fallen out, allowing the sun-
wind and rain to come in at their pleasure, or fencing that is in • state of decay
3rd Premium—On approaching a farm
residenoe from first sight, I make up my
mind what the taste and education of the
inmates are to a great extent if the buildings and fences ate ancient and in a dilapidated condition withont paint, shades
or veranda, with an ungraded yard without trees, shrubs or flowers, I need not
tell you that that family has not tastes of
a very high order. It takes but little outlay of money and labor to have a nice
cosy yard of neat shade trees, shrnbs,
roses and flowers properly arranged to
catch the eye of the passer by. (True.—
En.)    .
There is no excuse for the farmer with
his broad aores to set his yard about the
house with fruit trees to the exclusion of
onr more beantlful lawn trees. The rotten fruit In the yard and the foliage Is
not such as to attract the eye of the more
tasteful. For him who only thinks of
the mighty dollar it may do. Your trees
and shrubs should be so arranged as not
to obscure your views of the landscapes
around you.
Trim them up well so that you may
have light and air underneath the lower
limbs; do not stick your trees and shrubs
In at random. Arrange your yard by
well defined Ideas. Tour trees should be
suoh as have a good foilage and a dense
top. The Norway and hard maple are
two of our best lawn trees. The neat log
house with the tastefully arranged yard
catches the eye of the educated and refined man or woman more than the tall
mansion standing on the barron knoll.
It about oompares to a woman of nice
stature with a fifteen-dollar hat on her
head and a fifty-cent pair of brogans on
her feet and a three-cent dress. Do not
paint yonr honse black or. red or your
trimmings in mournings. Do not put in
large wooden posts around your yard and
a light wire fence on them; don't put
your chicken roost and smoke house in
the front yard. Study your landscape
before you build, and If you have buildings of ancient style, modify them with
new windows and verandas and If there
Is not natural landscape abont you call
on some neighbor who has a neat tidy
place to help yoa arrange yoars.   Keep
your walks and drives ln such a condition that you will not need rubber boots
to get to your house and barn, have a
nloe tidy garden near the house; don't
make a chicken yard of it. Put In the
hours that you have been spending at the
village on your house and yard, and I assure you that your pleasure and reward
will be greater and your children will regret to leave the old home, I. N. 0.
Broad Ripple.
Beautifying the home Is of greater im;
portanoe than anything  else  about the
farm; yet we go through the country and
find that 49 farmers out of every 60 neglect lt.   As we  pass  by our  neighbors
residenoe we exclaim, ''Isn't that a pretty
yard,"  yet we  don't heed   the  lesson
taught; we let our yard go ratty when we
ought to try to make some Improvement
on our neighbor's yard and make oar's
better  and  more  attractive.   When the
yard has been nicely graded sow to blue
grass; this should be done In the fall unless we have some way to irrigate it ln
which case it may be sown any time during the summer.   Now comes the chickens; a chicken lot without chickens in lt
would look odd, but a  house yard filled
with ohlckens  would  look odd Indeed
and lt is impossible to have a nice grassy
yard if we allow the chickens to rnn on
lt.   Everyone  should  suit   their   taste
about  their  yard  fences.   Some prefer
iron, others  wood.   We  have  a picket
fence made  from  yellow poplar sawed
one inch and plained and painted white
and the gate blue.   Of course in re-painting anything about the house or yard we
should use a  different  color.   Let it be
every year or  every four years.   It will
make things look fresher and more pleasing.   Some change  may be made in the
window and door facings and the cornice
by painting   them  every  two or  three
years, with   but  little  coat.   The  yard
gate looks best when placed directly in
front of the door and the walk running
straight from the door to the gate; walks
may be made from sawed rook, brick or
gravel.  A juniper  tree on each side of
the walk and a flower bench loaded with
nice flowers placed between the gate and
door adds mnch   to  the  beauty  of  the
home.   Flower benches and trees in the
yard must be  white washed or painted.
A martin box or two will not only help
to make home cheerful but the martins
will   keep  the  hawks  away  from  the
chickens.   The hogs  should  not  be fed
and slopped from  the  yard.   Do not let
them come closer than 20 steps from the
house, it will only be a little more trouble
to feed them and  not  half so annoying.
There  is  no yard  complete without a
hammock in the summer time and any
one can make one with  25 or 30  feet of
rope.   A grape  arbor  or some  kind of
shade trees such as maple, elm, etc., are
also necessary in making the outer home
pleasant and agreeable.   A  few flower
shrubs and rose bushes add much to the
beauty of  the  yard, but  too many is as
bad as not enough. N. B.
Harrison Co.
Beautifying the home." There is a
great deal more in these three words than
a great many of ns think, and how quick
every member of the family would be
in lending a helping hand to beautify the
home if we farmers, or the head of any
family, wonld only take more energy ln
this direction. It is more pleasing for us
to look upon and very quickly noticed by
strangers passing by besides making the
farm more valuable if we want to sell, for
any one wanting to buy will notice all
about the neatness. The dwelling should
be kept well painted as It looks muoh
better and also keeps out the rain and
preserves the building, and paint ls
cheaper than lumber. All the ont buildings such as chicken house, wood house,
maohine sheds and barns should be white
Continued on 13th page.