So to adorn this country seat I cut and threw into my buggy one day a young shoot of cotton-wood tree, hauled it fifty miles to the ranch, and stuck it in the centre of the court.

Water was never too plentiful; so why not make use of the soap-suddy washings which the boys and all of us habitually threw out there?
When the tree did grow up, and it thrived amazingly, its shade became the recognized lounging-place.

With a few flowering shrubs added the patio assumed quite a pretty aspect.

Another feature of the house was that the foundations were laid so deep, and of rock, that skunks could not burrow underneath, which is quite a consideration.

Under my winter cottage at the Meadows Ranch in Arizona skunks always denned and lay up during the cold weather, selecting a point immediately under the warm hearthstone.
There, as one sat reading over the fire, these delightful animals, within a foot of you, would carry on their family wrangles and in their excitement give evidence of their own nature; but happily the offence was generally a very mild one and evidently not maliciously intended.
Around the house was planted a small orchard and attempts were made at vegetable-growing.