276 



The Country House 



natural models and depending almost entirely on the poor invention of man, in- 

 volves the most careful thought and study and runs a greater risk of absolute failure. 

 The most important principle governing the laying out and the perfecting of 



an estate is that, whatever 

 be the treatment, it should 

 always look to be a natural 

 part of the landscape, with 

 an undisputed right of 

 existence in the locality in 

 which it has been placed. 

 If this is not observed, it 

 will swear at everything 

 within sight, leading a pro- 

 fane and unnatural life so 

 long as it shall exist. 



With very few excep- 

 tions, the formal gardens 

 of this country are lacking 

 in the above respect; they 

 have no connecting link 

 with external characteris- 

 tics. There are two ways 

 of obviating this unfortunate 

 and false condition: first, 

 by making the garden con- 

 form strictly with the land- 

 scape, so that in looking 

 from one upon the other 

 the sensation shall be one 

 of pleasing transition; and 

 second, by enclosing an en- 

 entirely foreign or artificial 

 treatment in a suitable en- 

 closure of trees or shrubs 

 in such a manner that both 



Garden steps. Estate of Mr. Frank Squires, Greenwich, Conn. the garden and the natural 



Wilson Eyre, architect landscape cannot be seen 



one from the other or both 

 at the same time, either from the normal ground level or from an elevation. 



A most excellent garden screen is that composed of silver or Lombardy poplars. 

 This tree is naturally of regular shape and requires little pruning. It is also a rapid 

 grower. The spruce, pine or cedar may also be used. The treatment is perfectly 

 legitimate, and if rightly handled the beholder suffers no shock in passing from one 

 condition to the other. The garden in fact becomes a delightful glimpse of another 

 world a bit of fairyland. In this way a garden on the lines of the lapanese can 

 be introduced without danger of interfering with the general scheme of design. 



