210 PLANS OF RESIDENCES 



and a weeping silver-fir in front of them, opposite the parlor bay- 

 window. Two small trees are indicated in front of the corners of 

 the veranda. If small trees are used in these places, they may be 

 of species like the Magnolia machrophylla, the double white-flower- 

 ing horse-chestnut, and the virgilia, which develop most beautifully 

 when branching near the ground, or, like the weeping sophora, 

 trailing to the ground ; but if large trees are chosen, they should 

 be of sorts which lift their heads on clean stems, so that their 

 lower branches will be above the line of view of persons standing 

 on the floor of the house. 



At the point formed by the intersection of the sidewalk with 

 the circular-walk there should be an interesting collection of ever- 

 greens of very slender, or very dwarf character. Near the point, and 

 two feet from both walks, plant the Abies excelsa pygmce ; three feet 

 from both walks, and back of the former, the Picea pectinata compacta; 

 back of these, and equidistant between the walks, the Taxus erecta ; 

 then, a little nearer to each walk than the latter, put in a golden 

 arbor-vitae and a golden yew, so as to make the group in the form 

 of a Y. If the proprietor prefers to have something new and 

 striking in this location every year, instead of waiting patiently the 

 interesting development of these dwarfs, this point will be an ap- 

 propriate place for a skillful arrangement of showy-leaved bedding- 

 plants ; but as there is ample space for these elsewhere, we would 

 much prefer marking the intersection of the two walks with some 

 permanent objects that may be seen in winter and summer, and 

 which, by living and growing year after year, will at length have 

 associations and a little history of their own, and become monu- 

 mental evidences of past labors. It is well always to mark the 

 divergence of two walks by some permanent tree or group near the 

 inner angle of intersection, and in the case under consideration, if 

 the group of lilliputian evergreens should seem too insignificant and 

 tardy in their development, or (being rarities) too expensive, we 

 would plant some spreading tree at this intersection, and recom- 

 mend for that purpose the weeping birch. 



From i and/, on opposite sides of the lot, the side fences 

 should be bordered with evergreen shrubs as far as the back 

 line of the main house, and thence to the garden may be covered 



