WALKS AND DRIVES. 



179 



And the general improvement in the appearance of the 

 grounds is also much better, for instead of increasing 

 the angular outlines — strong enough already in the build- 

 ings and boundaries — by making the Avalks straight, we 

 curve them gracefully, and thus induce variety in the 

 lines. The curves are brought in such a way, that we 

 secure that most desirable of all garden qualities, breadth 

 just where it is most needed, namely: in tlie foreground 

 of the main building. This simple point is one that ac- 

 counts for much of that indescribable difference in places, 

 which makes some appear much finer than others, with 

 the use of about the same advantages and materials in both. 

 But if on the one hand there may be a liability to not 

 employ curves often enough for good effect, on the other 



J L 



Fig. 26. Fig. 27. 



POORLT ARRANGED CURVED WALKS, SKETCHED FROM ACTUAL EXAMPLES. 



there is danger, wiien curves are used, of making them 

 ungraceful or indirect, in a way to serve neither beauty 

 or convenience. Figures 2G and 27 illustrate two ex- 

 amples of this kind. Tortuous walks like these prove 

 worse than useless in one sense, for there will be a con- 

 stant inclination, if not very frequent practice, to cut 

 across the lot, as indicated by the dotted lines, instead 

 of using the walks. People when they are in hurry, and 

 especially children, have little respect for long, winding, 

 inconvenient curves, introduced for beauty, but in such 

 cases sadly lacking it, because they lack utility. 



