74 COME INTO THE GARDEN 



or prejudices, go carefully over as many books 

 of good architecture, both landscape and build- 

 ing, as it is possible to lay hands on, before de- 

 ciding on any features that must be designed 

 and built. No one can know how limited his 

 knowledge is until he seeks thus to broaden it; 

 and certainly not until it has been broadened 

 is it possible to exercise taste and to select with 

 full appreciation of all the finer points involved. 

 A list of the best hedge plants for different 

 sections of the country is appended. Of fence 

 and wall materials I will say only that there are 

 two things to avoid. The first is the so-called 

 ornamental wire fence, the second is the con- 

 crete block wall — unless it is plastered and the 

 blocks obliterated completely. As a foundation 

 such blocks may serve but never as the final 

 wall surface. And as to the wire fencing, unless 

 it is used as the support of such a vine hedge as 

 I have earlier mentioned, it fails altogether to 

 give any sense of inclosure, since it allows all 

 the world to look in, if not to enter. And it 

 cannot, by the wildest stretch of the imagina- 

 tion, be regarded as beautiful in and by itself; 

 apart from pure utility, therefore, there can be 

 no reason for using it. And there can be no 

 reason whatsoever for using rails of gaspipe or 

 chains swung through iron posts, since these 



