142 Xan^scape Hrcbitecture 



road winding away from the eye through park or wild 

 woodland gives so much pleasure. The eye loses the 

 drive around a graceful curve and as one moves along 

 bits of road and scenery keep opening ahead and one 

 wonders what is coming next. Change and surprise 

 form important elements of pleasure in landscape 

 gardening. 



If conditions, however, force or strongly suggest the 

 use of a straight road, there is no rule of good taste 

 that should prevent its employment. The trees along 

 its borders should be of a character and size that will 

 give it dignity, but at the same time there should be 

 a diversity of the grading or topography of the lawn 

 nearby, and above all a pleasing variety of shrubs 

 between a number, though not necessarily all, of the 

 trees. To leave open spaces at intervals, provided the 

 views there are attractive, would be an advantage. 



The illustration shown of the straightaway road on 

 the east of Central Park indicates how such an arrange- 

 ment can be made agreeable in cramped and iminterest- 

 ing conditions, and the same rule applies to paths or 

 walks. Curving paths are the most agreeable to the 

 eye, but if the dignity or exigencies of the place require 

 it, there is no reason why the straight ones should not 

 be used. It is well to remember that to make a straight 

 path among curved ones may seriously disturb the 

 harmony of the entire scene, but the straight path in 

 the illustration of Lovers' Lane in Central Park shows 

 that the scene can be so diversified by planting as to pre- 

 vent the formality from marring the beauty of the scene. 



