WALKS AND ROADS. 87 



which follow whereon the walks will have the appearance, at first 

 sight, of being awkwardly direct, having neither the simplicity of a 

 straight line, nor the grace of Hogarth's line of beauty; but if 

 the hint just given about glancing along the line of the walk 

 with the eye nearly on a level with the paper is followed, they 

 will be found more pleasing. 



There are many places where the house is large compared with 

 the size of the lot, on which straight walks are not only admissible, 

 but where to attempt curved walks would be ridiculous. Some of 

 the succeeding plans will illustrate such. The vignette of Chapter 

 IV illustrates an elegant approach of this kind, over which trees 

 have formed a noble arch. Steps and copings of cut stone, with 

 pedestals and vases, may be designed to make such entrances as 

 beautiful architecturally as the means of the proprietor will justify. 

 The mere platting of walks on such places is too simple a matter 

 to require any suggestions here. All foot-walks should approach 

 the entrance steps either at right angles or parallel with them ; 

 and in all cases should start at right angles with the line of the 

 entrance gate. 



The width of roads and walks must vary according to the 

 extent of the grounds and the character of the house. For a 

 cottage with small grounds, make the walks narrow rather than 

 wide. The apparent size of the ground will be diminished by too 

 ambitious walks. But there are limits of convenience. A broad 

 walk always gives one a sense of freedom and ease, which is want- 

 ing when we must keep our eyes down to avoid straying from the 

 narrow way. For small places, therefore, we must compromise 

 between the prettier external effect of narrow walks and the greater 

 convenience of wide ones. Four feet is the least width appro- 

 priate for a cottage main walk, and two feet for the rear walks. 

 But for most town or suburban places, from four to six feet for the 

 main walk and three feet for the rear walks, are appropriate 

 widths. It is essential, however, that no shrubbery or flower-Beds 

 approach nearer than two feet from them. A walk three feet wide, 

 with two feet of closely-shaven lawn on each side of it, is really 

 just as commodious as a walk six feet wide closely bordered or 

 overhung by rank annuals or gross shrubs. At the foot of the 



