ssigned them, as trees will in time, and they do not make shade enough
to bring about the unsanitary conditions which are almost always found
to exist in small places where trees, planted too thickly at first, have
made a strong development. Shade is a pleasing feature of a place in
summer, but there is such a thing as having too much of it. We
frequently see places in which the dwelling is almost entirely hidden by
a thicket of trees, and examination will be pretty sure to show that the
house is damp, and the occupants of it unhealthy. Look at the roof and
you will be quite sure to find the shingles covered with green moss. The
only remedy for such a condition of things is the thinning out or
removal of some of the trees, and the admission of sunlight. Shrubs can
never be charged with producing such a state of things, hence my
preference for them on lots where there is not much room. Vines can be
used upon the walls of the dwelling and about the verandas and porches
in such a way as to give all the shade that is needed, and, with a few
really fine specimens of shrubs scattered about the grounds, trees will
not be likely to be missed much.

I would not be understood as discouraging the planting of trees on
grounds where there is ample space for their development. A fine tree is
one of the most beautiful things in the world, but it must be given a
good deal of room, and that is just what cannot be done on the small
city or village lot. Another argument in favor of shrubs is--they will
be in their prime a few years after planting, while a tree must have
years to grow in. And a shrub generally affords considerable pleasure
from the start, as it will bloom when very small. Many of them bloom the
first season.

In locating shrubs do not make the mistake of putting them between the
house and the street, unless for the express purpose of shutting out
something unsightly either of buildings or thoroughfare. A small lawn
loses its dignity when broken up by trees, shrubs, or flower-beds. Left
to itself it imparts a sense of breadth and distance which will make it
seem larger than it really is. Plant things all over it and this effect
is destroyed. I have said this same thing in other chapters of this
book, and I repeat it with a desire to so impress the fact upon the mind
of the home-maker that he cannot forget it, and make the common mistake
of locating his shrubbery or his flower-gardens in the front yard.

The best location