CHAPTER XIII. 



THE orn"amentatio:n" of farmyards. 



We would have the cottage, the farmhouse and the larger 

 country house, all marked by a somewhat distinctive char- 

 acter of their own, so far as relates to making them com- 

 plete and individual of tlieir kind ; and believinjif, as we do, 

 that the beauty and force of every true man's life or occu- 

 pation depend largely on his pursuing it frankly, honestly, 

 openly, with all the individuality of his character, we would 

 have his house and home help to give significance to, and 

 dignify, that daily life and occupation, by harmonizing witli 

 them. For tliis reason we tliink the farmer errs when he 

 copies the filiirree worlc of the retired citizen's cottage, 

 instead of showing tliat rustic strength and solidity in his 

 house wliich are its true elements of interest and beauty. 



A. J. Dowmng. 



Everyone must some time have felt a shock at com- 

 ing upon a city house in the country. Such houses are, 

 fortunately, rare ; but they are not unknown. There 

 will be the house of complicated architecture, with 

 gables, and porticoes and loggias, and porte-cochere ; 

 and there will be all the other accompaniments to give 

 a thoroughly urban air to the whole place. And most 

 persons will feel instinctively what an impropriety 

 such a composition presents. The country house must 

 have a thoroughly rural air. The owner has hardly 

 the choice of any other plan. And to give a rural 

 atmosphere some sort of naturalistic treatment of the 

 grounds will be necessary. 



This naturalistic treatment, on account of the con- 

 siderations already hinted at, ought to be on a compar- 

 atively large scale. This is usually possible, for the 

 farm can commonly spare whatever room is required for 

 the homestead and its immediate dependencies. In 

 those rather too common cases in which the house and 



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