VOL. LXTX
INDIANAPOLIS, MAY 2, 1914
NO. 18
 ..j	
Beautifying the Home and Surroundings
The farmer's home need never be un
sightly, for trees, shrubs and vines have
the power to transform it into a restful
lovely place. The rules for beautifying
the farm home are simple:— Hide the
ugly, accent the lovely and use such
shrubs, trees and flowers as are easy
to care for and adapted to soil and climate. '        — -     *   —*  <  a*     <
There are some features not unusual
to the farm home which are       	
very unsightly: the grass-
less rear yard, the kitchen
entrance and wood shed and
the barnyard more or less
remote. Some poultry wire,
grass seed, one or two
groups of shrubs as screens
and some vines will hide delects and make a place restful and beautiful to the eye.
On the other hand, the
farmer's home has some Una
features for beauty. There
are usually some spreading
trees, an amide lawn space
and simple picturesque iincH
in its house.   *    »      »
The boundary hedge or
fence Is a matter of personal
taste. Some farm houses are
at their best with a hedge
or fence especially if the
house is high. Low houses
often look better without the
hedge or fence. The extent
and grade of the lawn also
help to determine this.
The Open Lawn.
One illustration shows
how a rear yard is beautified by screening objectionable features without encroaching upon the attractive    lawn    space.       Notice     	
that in the extreme rear a planting of
shrubbery screens the corn crib. Althea
(Rose of Sharon), lilac, snowball, syr-
inga, or untrimmed California Privet
are useful in such a place. Fall trees
and some closely planted dwarf evergreens are used at the left. The pear
tree just outside of the group serves
to soften the outline of the building beyond. Notice how the low planting of
annuals and perennials helps also to
harmonize the lines of the buildings
with  the surroundings.    *"*;
The other illustration is an old homestead about which the planting is partly of the original plan and partly a
later natural growth. Note the box-
bordered path-of the original plan. On
the left is a box-wood tree. The boundary fence has been removed. The
chief fault lies in the position of the
later growth of locust trees since they
obscure the best lines of the house.
The appearance would be improved if
the locusts between the right box row
and the shrubs at the left were cut
away. This would reveal the logical
lines of the dwelling. The masses of
foliage formed by the low shrubs at
the left and the box-wood tree, the
box-bordered path, the low branched
tree before the porch and the group of
locusts south of the walk would frame
the house from this view very satisfactorily.       The   box   rows  would   be
Improvements That Are Not Costly Yet Which
Add Value to  the Farm.
better explained by a brick, concrete
or gravel walk between them rather
than sod, but one should not make the
mistake of removing from his ground
any  well-grown   box.       It  takes years
inal plan has made its position illogical
it can almost always be made Justifiable In a modern plan by arranging
other shrubs, etc., with reference to it.
X. J. Jl. R. C.
A Beautiful Open Lawn With Shrubbery Around Edges that Shut off Unsightly Views.
for it to grow, ls valuable and so essentially part of an old* homestead's
setting that it should bo treasured.
Even where a departure from an orig-
tiii; i'.ujm iu.;sii>i_n_e.
Nothing adds more to the looks, comfort, and real value of a farm, or to the
pleasure and "ontentment of a farmer'*
A Typical Pwryard in tin QJ-J Place.
family, than a well equipped and comfortable residence. When it is considered that the average farmer spends
one-half of his life indoors, and the
wife fully three-fourths, is it not the
duty of every man to have just as
pretty and comfortable a house, as his
circumstances will possibly allow?
Every farmer is not, of course, able
to   have   an   expensive   abode,   and   yet
        there are but few who might
not have better residence.')
than they possess, when thi3
matter has not been properly considered. Some exceptions must necessarily be
made. For instance, the
young man and his wife just
.mm it in;; in life on a moderate tract of land, and those
in debt for their land cannot
and should not build expensively, lf they are thrifty
and possess gond managing
abilities in a few years they
may be able to put up neat,
attractive and comfortable
residences. Such an investment is calculated to make
the life of a farmer, and his
wife and children, more enjoyable, and the outlay at
once enhances the value of
the   land.
Convenience* In  the  Home.
When building, it is false
economy to attempt to build
cheaply. That is, so economically as to prevent convenience, and beauty. A
small house may be much
handsomer and more convenient than a large one,
and just here is a very im-
  portant point to be considered. Whatever the size of a residence,
be sure at the beginning that there will
be money enough to properly finish
and furnish it in an appropriate manner. Plans should be studied, and
architects consulted, for making the
best- possible use of the means to be
expended, and above all give the wife
her say as to mueh of the arrangement
of the interior; for she is the one who
will suffer most from bad plannings. A
few dollars additional expenditure will
often save thousands of extra steps and
multitudes of perplexities.
Attractive Surroundings  Needed.
The la* n and surroundings of a
house should not be neglected in the
least. It is the outside style and tinish
that makes a residence beautiful, to
both the home folks and all who pass
by. A splendid looking house, though
it may not be large, is always a matter
of pride to the farmers family, and
makes both wife and children feel like
they had something to live for and en-
Joy, even if they do have to work pretty hard. They always feel proud of
their home.
A beautiful place with neat and suitable fences, flowers and shrubbery,
makes the farmer's children love home.
Children have pride and do not like to
live unlike other children, and it they
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