THE AMATEUR GARDEN 



scheme, as may be noted — if without offence 

 we may offer it the homage of criticism — in 

 one of the gardens we have photographed 

 [page 176] to illustrate these argumentations. 

 There eight distinct encumbrances narrow the 

 sward without in the least adding to the gar- 

 den's abounding charm. The smallest effort of 

 the reader's eye will show how largely, in a 

 short half-day's work, the fair scene might be 

 enhanced in lovely dignity simply by the elim- 

 ination of these slight excesses, or by their 

 withdrawal toward the lawn's margins and into 

 closer company with the tall trees. 



In New Orleans, where, even when there 

 are basements, of which there are many, the 

 domains of the cook and butler are somewhere 

 else, a nearly universal feature of every sort of 

 dwelling — the banker's on two or three lots, 

 the laborer's on half a one — is a paved walk 

 along one side of the house, between the house 

 and the lawn, from a front gate to the kitchen. 

 Generally there is but the one front gate, facing 

 the front door, with a short walk leading directly 

 up to this door. In such case the rear walk, be- 



176 



