284 PARKS AND rLEASURE-GEOUNDS. 



laurel, trained up to cover three feet in breadth, and 

 to project eighteen inches or two feet. These ever- 

 greens, if well kept, will not only form fine verdant 

 columns, but will be found to yield a considerable de- 

 gree of shelter to the more tender plants trained in the 

 intermediate spaces. The walls of the house, as also 

 the porches and verandas, may be decorated with 

 climbing plants and shrubs. 



The pleasure-ground villa is generally the choice of 

 the botanist and flower-fancier ; and in the vicinity of 

 cities it is often the abode of those whose wealth per- 

 mits them to indulge a taste for fine scenery and ele- 

 gant decoration. As being more complicated, and 

 more carefully furnished in all its parts, it requires a 

 larger outlay at first, and a more laborious, and there- 

 fore more expensive keeping, than the jilainer form, 

 on which we now proceed to oflPer some remarks. 



The Park Yilla. — In this species of villa, from 

 one-half to two-thirds of the whole area is taken up 

 with pasture-land, arranged into one larger or two 

 smaller fields, to suit convenience ; while the remain- 

 ing space is allotted to the house and its ofiices, the 

 kitchen-garden, and lawns with the appended shrub- 

 beries. For example, and without laying down any 

 proportions to be adhered to invariably, say that the 

 wliole ground to be operated on amounts to seven 

 acres ; we may suppose that half an acre is occupied 

 by the site of the house, ofiices, and their relative 

 courts ; that one acre is allotted to the kitchen-garden, 

 and another acre and a half is distributed among the 

 lawns, shrubberies, and approach ; there would be left 

 four acres for pasture to be grazed by sheep, or by a 

 few cows, or a horse or two, as the wants of the family 



