86 W A L K S AND ROADS. 



between the steps and the street, and on a lot at least one hundred 

 and fifty feet in width. For most residences the front street is near 

 enough for a carriage to approach with visitors and callers, who 

 generally choose fair weather ; and the family can go to and from 

 their own vehicles by some of the rear entrances of the house, past 

 which the road from the street to the carriage-house should lead. 

 Where houses are designed so that their main entrance is on the 

 side, then a carriage-road may pass it properly, though the lot 

 should be narrower than the size just mentioned. For lots having 

 such narrow street fronts in proportion to their depth, this is the 

 best arrangement for the house, as it leaves the finest rooms adjoin- 

 ing each other in the front. See Plates XIII, XXV, and XXVII. 



In laying out a carriage-drive avoid sharp turns, and, as far as 

 possible, the segments of circles reversed against each other, as in 

 a geometric letter S. Such parts of circles, though graceful on 

 paper, give the effect of crooked lines, as seen in perspective. A 

 line that will enable the driver to approach the main steps most 

 conveniently is the true line, unless trees or shrubs already growing 

 prevent, in which case the same rule must be followed as nearly as 

 practicable. By the most convenient approach is meant that which 

 a skillful driver would make if he were dri\ing over an unbroken 

 lawn from the entrance-gate to the porch. 



Nearly all amateur landscape-gardeners will blunder in their 

 first attempts to lay out roads or walks, by making the curves too 

 decided. The lines most graceful on paper will not appear so in 

 perspective, as we walk along them • and it will not do, therefore, 

 in laying them out on a paper plat, to suppose they will appear the 

 same on the ground. If grounds were to be seen from a balloon 

 the effect would be the same as upon your plan ; but as we are all 

 destined to look along the ground, instead of vertically down upon 

 it, it will be seen why curves that look graceful on paper are likely 

 to be too abrupt and crooked in perspective. If the reader will 

 place the paper plan nearly on a level with his eye, and glance 

 along the line of the proposed road or walk, he will be able to 

 judge how his curves will seem as seen when walking towards or 

 upon them ; supposing, of course, that the ground to be platted 

 has a tolerably level surface. There are several of the plans 



