158 The Landscape Gardening Book 



is not only a comfortable seat for a group, in that it brings them 

 together, but a restful and comfortable seat for the individual. 



It is not at all likely that the charming, old, curved, white- 

 painted seats which some old gardens harbor, were consciously 

 modeled on this stone conversation bench of the Greeks, but 

 the same need furnished the idea for their form. The same 

 gregarious instinct prompted their making. And such a seat 

 offers naturally the suggestion and the place for a roimd garden 

 table, with all the sociable delights which it brings. 



The two together need take up very Uttle room. A seat 

 that is a complete semicircle, large enough to seat six persons 

 easily, with its round table placed on the center from which its 

 curve is drawn, will only require eleven by seven feet. This 

 style of seat may be cut in half, if only half the size is desired, 

 or a semicircle constructed with a shorter radius. A radius 

 of less than thirty inches, however, is not practicable, as it does 

 not allow sufficient space in front of the sitters. Usually a 

 radius of four feet is the best for a bench to seat any number 

 up to six. This gives a pleasing and stifhcient curve to even 

 a very short seat, cut off at the quarter circle or less and 

 accommodating only two or three. 



The radius for any desired size of bench is very easily deter- 

 mined. Allow two feet along the inner circumference of the 

 seat for each person to be accommodated. This will be the meas- 

 ure of half the circumference of a circle. One-third of this will 

 therefore be the radius required to swing that circle; for the 

 diameter is one-third the circumference and the radius one-half 

 the diameter, or one-sixth of the circumference. 



For example, the number of persons to be seated is six: two 

 feet to a person makes twelve feet, which must be the length of the 

 inner edge of the semicircle, which is half of the circumference. 



