THE SELECTION OF HOME GROUNDS 5 



sought for the road that is to lead to the house, it will 

 ; be found, perhaps, that some knoll prevents its entrance 

 on the grounds at the best point. When the course of 

 the road is continued farther, contiguous knolls may 

 again make it \dnding and difficult to traverse with a 

 horse and wagon, and the selection or adoption of some 

 |steep grade becomes necessary to reach the house. It is, 

 'moreover, a dangerous thing to attempt to radically 

 change the natural contours of any territory, so our way 

 out in building roads and paths and locating houses in 

 such places is not an easy one. In these lands of hills 

 and dales, water will - be apt to collect in pockets and 

 threaten us with unhealthy conditions. 



Finally, as years go on, we ^^ill find that the la\\Tis will 

 not be as enduring under the stress of drought, and the 

 banks more liable to wash, on picturesque hill lots than 

 Isewhere. Indeed, the problem of selecting a home in 

 nigged regions becomes often so hard to solve that an 

 expert may easily make mistakes, for even our greatest 

 irchitects make them in their most approved city build- 

 ngs. Common sense, therefore, and a general feeling 

 n favor of economy of effect should prompt us to seek 

 he line of least resistance, and establish our houses and 

 pounds where the conditions readily shape themselves 

 our hands. 



The author does not wish to imply that all lots on 

 ►icturesque broken ground are objectionable, but sim- 

 ►ly to explain some of the difficulties that are likely to 

 xise when an attempt is made to create a home on such 

 and. There is little doubt that a level lot is better 

 uited to the general purpoees of a home than a hilly 

 ■ne, but, all the same, the reader may come across a 

 iroperty, rugged and broken, which does in the most 



