Conservative *
PLANT TREES.
Each fleeting year with its freighted hours
Brings back the timely Arbor Day
When thoughtful men , with n pause , may hood
And duty's urgent call obey ,
May look beyond from the present's carus ,
From transient joys the days now hold ,
And plant for men who are yet to come
New trees to grow for good untold.
To ono who thinks when ho plants a tree
To live and thrive in brown earth's breast ,
Come visions elear of the world's great space
Made glad with shadowed nooks for rest ,
Where each green tree with its out-spread
boughs
Has refuge for the weary made ,
With sunlit gleams on its shining leaves
Has bent to guard its cooling shade.
To one who lists when ho plants a tree
Como melodies so full , so sweet ,
As if the years from the future called ,
Though far away , their joys repeat ;
As if the birds from the trees to come ,
Beside each peaceful , sheltered nest.
Sang out their glee from the morning time ,
Sang softly notes of evening rest.
To ono who thinks when he plants a tree
A thousand joys spring into view ,
His act , unfeelflsh , will others bless
With gifts to make lifo glad anew ,
From out the rootlets that lie below
A message to his heart will creep ,
"Some day this deed will a harvest yield
When thou shalt with thy fathers sleep. "
MAKY FRENCH MOIITOX.
HOW TO IMPROVE THE HOME.
The borne is the unit of society and
for its protection government exists.
That which will make it better and
more attractive will have a like effect
upon its product and will thus build
up a higher type of citizenship. The
home does not consist merely in the
structure that shelters the occupants but
includes the immediate out-lying
grounds and buildings. In the arrange
ment of these the jcsthetic effect should
be kept in mind the same as in planning
the interior decoration. As the city has
its public parks so each home should
have its place for enjoying and being
refreshed by the gracious gifts of nature.
By beautifying home environment we
instill in children a keener love of
nature , foster in them a sentiment for
the better care of flowers and trees , and
fill them with pride to leave the world
not less beautiful than when they
found it.
VI
. * s Sub-Divisions.
\ In home improvement care should be
taken to conceal objectionable objects ,
barns , outbuildings , etc. , by screens
of shrubbery , andto afford a
f 1 pretty view from the interior of the
' * - ' - ! house. Mr. Warren H. Manning has
issued a pamphlet that contains some
splendid suggestions in regard to laying
out the grounds. He makes three sub
divisions. First , the front lawn , in
cluding the space from the house to the
street , with trees or shrubbery across the
frontage ; second , the living lawn , ex
tending from the front to the rear of the
honso , separated from the front lawn
by a cluster of shrubs and so screened as
to bo freely used during pleasant weather
as living rooms , giving ample oppor
tunity for the enjoyment of outdoor
life. It may be beautified by being
dotted with flower beds or laid out for
game courts as the tastes of the owner
may suggest ; third , the working section ,
or the part in rear of the living lawn ,
including the barns and outbuildings ,
which should be hid from view by
screens of shrubbery.
Selection of Plants.
In the selection of shrubs we should
have a specific purpose in mind and
make a choice of those best adapted to
our purpose. The arrangement should
bo irregular to avoid monotony , but the
union complete to insure privacy. A
desirable effect is produced by the inter
mingling of large and small shrubs ,
keeping in mind their size and foliage at
maturity. Care should be taken to
preserve as much open space in the liv
ing lawn as possible. It _ should not be
obstructed by flower beds. These should
be confined to a garden or placed about
the edge of the'lawn as a border for the
shrubbery. The ground should first be
well tilled and properly fertilized as a
rich soil is productive of a more thrifty
growth. More satisfactory results can
be obtained by planting more abundant
ly of fewer kinds and adding other
varieties later. The interval between
shrubs should be one-half the natural
spread at maturity , thus forming a com
plete screen. If but little time can be
devoted to the care of the lawn , the
more vigorous and hardy shrubs should
be selected. Many plants of exceptional
beauty grow naturally without much
regard to soil or care. Discrimination
then should be used in destroying
native clusters as many have points of
attractiveness and are well worth pre
serving.
Tiiko Advantage of Nature.
Landscape gardening need not all be
artificial. Nature sometimes supplies
splendid assistance. Take advantage
of the lay of the ground , the knolls and
ledges which oftentimes add piotur-
esquenesss. Beauty which nature thus
supplies is even more charming than
that which human effort can give.
Trees should be adapted to the soil.
Plant those which are congenial to a
marshy soil or adapted to a more arid
region aa the case may require. The
time of transplanting varies with the
kind. Trees and shrubs should be
moved when not in growth ; deciduous
plants after the leaves have fallen ; ever
greens when the growth is ripe. Large
trees are difficult to successfully move.
Smaller trees and shrubs withstand
transplanting best. Native plants should
not be selected from among thosa that
are crowded or shaded very much by
other plants. Care should be taken to get
plenty of the roots and to prevent them
from drying by removing a liberal sup
ply of earth with them. The cost of
obtaining shrubs and herbs is very
slight. They can be purchased at an
average cost of about $1.25 per dozen ;
$5.00 per 100 ; and $20.00 per 1,000.
Many plants , especially herbs , can bo
very successfully grown from seeds
which can be purchased from the seed
houses for a mere trifle per package. A
list of choice varieties of shrubs and
trees is given by Mr. Warren in his
book , together with other valuable in
formation , well worth while investi
gating.
The Distance.
Iii planting trees of the larger varieties
care should be taken not to plant them
close together. It mars the beauty of
the individual growth and destroys the
symmetry of the neighboring trees.
The excess of shade , too , is very un-
healthful. Many diseases have their
origin in the bad sanitation resulting
from too dense a forest growth about
the home. Where the effect of the
individual tree is what is desired the
distance between trees should be at least
forty feet in case of the larger varieties.
If the effect of a group , as in clusters
along the roadway , is sought , the dis
tance apart need not be so great. When
trees are crowded it is best to remove a
part of them even though they may
have attained considerable size. The
loss of a few trees in this way is more
than compensated for by the added
splendor and symmetry given the others.
The School House.
While improving the home grounds
on Arbor Day do not neglect the road
way or the school house. Groups of
trees along the roadside relieve the
monotony and give an added charm to
the landscape. There is no place quite
so forlorn and dejected looking as a
school house with only a barren waste
about it. In such an environment , it is
not surprising that children should early
form a prejudice against going to school
and should be afflicted , almost from in
fancy , with a mania for truancy. Re
place this dreary effect with the cool ,
refreshing shade of the elm or maple.
Make the play grounds cheerful and
homelike. Plant shrubbery , with here
and there clusters of rose bushes. It
was Lowell who said : "I willingly
confess so great a partiality for trees as
tempts me to respect a man in exact
proportion to his respect for them. He
cannot be wholly bad who has a sympa
thy for what is so innocent and beauti
ful. " PLANT TREES.
Among the blessings
SAPHO
ings of life in a
small town upon the Missouri river , is
that one does not have such theatrical
entertainments presented for his enjoy
ment as that with which one Miss
