Suburban Home Grounds. 19 



trees and shrubs to mature. If there are good trees existing 

 on the land every effort should be made to save them. Often 

 the only characteristic feature is one fine tree existing where 

 the house usually would be set. The style and shape of the 

 house should be studied that the tree may be saved and give 

 emphasis to the home. Difficult conditions in the hand of the 

 master will result in convenience and art combined. Too many 

 house plans are made on paper without reference to the natural 

 conditions of the ground, or the future development. See 

 Plates II and XV. 



Side hill lots are the most difficult to treat successfully. 

 Ingenuity and often large expense is necessary to secure a. 

 convenient and artistic arrangement. For such lots the long 

 narrow house is the best. This shape of house will avoid exces- 

 sively high rear basement walls. See Plate XXI. 



A free hand may be had in open hill side lots, but in wooded 

 ones the problem is more difficult. It is usually desirable to- 

 save as many of the valuable existing trees as possible. 

 Retaining walls may be needed to support the walks or drive- 

 ways and to avoid filling against an especially fine tree. 



In side hill lots there is the one with the land sloping upward 

 from the street level and the land sloping downward. 



On the land above, the immediate street front between the 

 house and the street may be either sloped with graceful banks, 

 terraced in earth and grassed, or walled. See Plate XXVI. 



The land on the opposite side of the house, or rear, must be 

 shaped so the surface drainage from the land above will be 

 carried away from the house. If the land is not too steep the 

 earth may be excavated and shaped so the water will collect 

 in a hollow and run away at the sides of the house. If that is 

 not possible a wall can be built with a catch basin in the lowest 

 point connected with drains to remove the surface water. The 

 house may be designed to fit the slope, stepping, in such a 

 manner as to remove the buried effect so often seen in side 

 hill work. 



