THE NATURAL STYLE. 21 



gronped along the walls and massed in retreating angles 

 help to do this. Their most efficient assistants are the 

 climbers, which may cling to the walls or twine about 

 the porches, becoming almost part and parcel of the 

 building. Shrubs and climbers together, judiciously 

 l^laced, will often bring into the closest harmony a house 

 and grounds which without them would have been at 

 never-ending war with one another. 



LOSING NATURALi5"ESS. 



It is not a very logical arrangement of the subject 

 which classifies tonnes under these two exactly opposite 

 heads, — gaining naturalness and losing naturalness. 

 And yet it has the advantage of convenience. For it is 

 convenient to consider some things as excellencies and 

 some others as faults, some as commissions and some as 

 omissions, some positively and others negatively ; and it 

 may not be amiss to mention certain very important 

 matters from both sides. 



Thus, of the prominent lines of the ideal landscape 

 we have said that, other things permitting, they should 

 be curved ; and yet there is no redundancy in saying 

 here that they should not be straight. The doctrine is 

 of sufficient importance to merit a second mention. In 

 reality it is often disregarded, to the great detriment of 

 gardens, public squares and house grounds. Yet others 

 make a mistake by accepting it too exclusively, and lay- 

 ing curves where there is no room for them and sending 

 the wayfarer a long journey for which he has neither 

 heart nor time. Straight lines must sometimes be used, 

 but the gardener must then content himself that natur- 

 alness is lost. 



Artificial constructions, in the sense here used, is 

 meant to cover a multitude of whims and fancies which 

 small gardeners — and some of higher rating — are always 

 introducing in their choicest and most conspicuous 

 places. Frequently these are of the most puerile order; 



