328 Landscape Gardening 



back and front yard, a little peep down the street, looking 

 one way at the river, and the other way at the sky. So far 

 from gaining any thing which all inhabitants of a village 

 should gain by the combination, one of these new villagers 

 actually loses; for if he were to go by himself, he would 

 buy land cheaper, and have a fresh landscape of fields and 

 hills around him, instead of houses on all sides, almost as 

 closely placed as in the city, which he has endeavored to 

 fly from. 



Now a rural village - - newly planned in the suburbs of a 

 great city, and planned, too, specially for those whose cir- 

 cumstances will allow them to own a tasteful cottage in 

 such a village - - should present attractions much higher 

 than this. It should aim at something higher than mere 

 rows of houses upon streets crossing each other at right 

 angles, and bordered with shade trees. Any one may find 

 as good shade trees and much better houses in certain 

 streets of the city which he leaves behind him; and if he is 

 to give up fifty conveniences and comforts long enjoyed in 

 town for the mere fact of fresh air he had better take board 

 during the summer months in some snug farmhouse as 

 before. 



The indispensable desiderata in rural villages of this kind, 

 are the following: 1st, a large open space, common, or park, 

 situated in the middle of the village, not less than twenty 

 acres, and better, if fifty or more in extent. This should be 

 well planted with groups of trees, and kept as a lawn. The 

 expense of mowing it would be paid by the grass in some 

 cases; and in others, a considerable part of the space might 

 be inclosed with a wire fence and fed by sheep or cows like 

 many of the public parks in England. 



This park would be the nucleus or heart of the village, 

 and would give an essentially rural character. Around it 

 should be grouped all the best cottages and residences of the 

 place; and this would be secured by selling no lots fronting 

 upon it of less than one-fourth of an acre in extent. Wide 

 streets, with rows of elms or maples, should diverge from 

 the park on each side, and upon these streets smaller lots, 



