ON WALKS. 



Dry gravel walks are indispensable for the enjoyment of scenery in the 

 pleasure ground. We should therefore hegin hy forming a good, firm, straight 

 walk through the whole length of the retired fronts of the house, or the sides 

 with which the carriage entrance does not interfere. Such walk should not 

 be less than nine or ten feet from the house, and exactly parallel with it, so as to 

 afford room on the side next the house for vases, urns, basket-work, or other 

 ornaments, to be placed in correspondence with what may be on the contrary 

 side of the walk. (See General Plans.) This walk will also afford an impor- 

 tant promenade when the weather is too doubtful to allow of a more distant 

 stroll. The walks ancillary to the above should commence about the end 

 of the building, bending very gradually from it — indeed, almost imperceptibly, 

 at least for a few yards. In all cases where it can be done, some part of the 

 approach to the house walk should be thrown sufficiently out to admit of the 

 edifice being clearly seen in perspective, especially when the approach does not 

 scan the house favourably : this is too often neglected. In many instances we 

 see the beauties of costly edifices entirely lost to the observer, unless the house 

 walk is left, and the lawn traversed to view tliem. At the same time, it is 

 of importance that the winding walk itself should be hid from the window 

 view as soon as convenient ; and in no case should tire repose of the lawn in 

 front of the house be injured by the walk passing through or round it. 

 Moreover, it must be remembered that it is always in bad taste to look 

 across two walks at one view ; and, except in limited town gardens, or where 

 the ground is sufficiently undulated to lose the farther walk from the windows, 

 such an error must be avoided. 



In forming the width of the general or principal walks, we shall have to 

 be a good deal guided by the extent or magnitude of the place. A residence 

 of great pretensions should have the terrace or house walk from ten to 

 fifteen feet wide; the principal winding walks from seven to nine feet 



