SUMMER MEETING. 



103 



Entrance walks and drives require more skill in their construction than any 

 others. In the ancient styles of landscape gardening, convenience only was 

 sought after in these matters. Walks or drives as adding to the beauty of 

 a lawn, were matters of little or of no consideration. For instance, the 

 approach was so formed as to enter directly in front of the house, affording a 

 full view of that portion of the edifice, and of no other. In our present and 

 more advanced state of landscape gardening, the formation of the approach 

 has become a matter of artistic skill. Curved walks are used more than for- 

 merly, because they add to the beauty and variety of the grounds. The house 

 is generally so approached that more than one side of the building will strike 

 the eye at once. Such an entrance is not so formal as the bold, straight path. 

 At the same time, it adds to the variety and picturesqueness of the grounds. 

 In the curves and joinings of walks, trees or shrubbery are planted, if they 

 are not already there, so as to make it appear that the walks are turned aside 

 for these objects. The idea of naturalness is thus produced. 



Again, walks should not describe large curves unless there is a reason for it y 

 real or apparent. If it can be avoided, a long stretch of road or path should 

 not be placed before the windows of our living rooms. Such roads will break 

 up the view of our grounds, and are, usually an " eye sore." A walk should 

 not run parallel with another walk or a road. If both walks cannot be united 

 into one, they should be made as divergent as possible, else they will appear 

 useless. 



Lastly, every walk should have a reason for its existence. Unnecessary paths 

 or roads detract from the beauty of a lawn by cutting up the ground. These 

 points, with others, account for much of that indescribable difference in resi- 

 dences which make, some to appear much finer than others, with the use of the 

 same advantages and material. 



The accompanying diagram will 

 serve to illustrate some of these 

 rules. It is a plan of the grounds 

 in front of one of the houses on 

 " faculty row " at our college. The 

 houses and drives are situated a 

 little different than on most streets, 

 but the figure is a good illustration 

 of some of the above rules. The 

 walk from College Hall comes up 

 along side the road at X: to the 

 house if there was first constructed 

 the walk which is represented by 

 the dotted lines. It, however, 

 proved faulty for it lay directly in 

 front of the sitting room window 

 (0) and nearly parallel to the road 

 on its left (B)\ and when another 

 house was built near X, the old 

 walk was changed to the ones 

 shown in the figure. The position 

 of these, as we see, is about perfect. 

 They do not interfere with a view 

 from the house. They leave each 

 other abruptly, and none ofj them 

 are parallel. They pass in gentle 



Sketch from Grounds of Agricultural College. 



