THE CITY YARD 



It is better not to have It cut up or divided by- 

 fences, but a change In level from front to rear 

 may make It compulsory to terrace It, say, across 

 the middle. If It Is a sharp change, or If shifting 

 sand makes It hard to bank It, the rise of the ter- 

 race can be vertical and faced with masonry — a 

 thing commonly to be avoided In a small space. 

 This retaining wall can be covered with vines or 

 tall plants, save at the center, where a flight of 

 two or three steps could give access to the higher 

 ground. If the economies have to be consulted, 

 these steps will doubtless be driven Into the ter- 

 race, and will be no wider than necessary; but If 

 the expense can be afforded It is better to have 

 them extend from the terrace in widening cres- 

 cents — marble against greenery. Should it be 

 possible merely to slope the terrace and cover the 

 slope with turf, instead of holding the upper sec- 

 tion in place by stone, the flight of steps will be 

 all the more graceful. Here Is the plan. 



This assumes that the back of the yard is 

 higher than the house foundation. If the to- 

 pography is the reverse of this, little change is 

 called for, except to turn the steps the other way 

 and to plant taller shrubs in the distant half of 



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