100 COME INTO THE GARDEN 



guarding front doors and gracing (!) the midst 

 of lawns. None is so benighted as to acquire 

 these things now, assuredly; but altogether too 

 many which have lasted over remain to afflict 

 long-suffering humanity. Their complete dem- 

 olition is the only solution of the aching prob- 

 lems which they create, for they came into popu- 

 lar favor in the black-walnut-and-hair-cloth era, 

 along with the Italian villa, a period growing 

 more famous — or infamous — for its execrable 

 taste, as we come more and more fully to real- 

 ize this. 



Most garden makers, however, are spared 

 these iron zoological specimens, happily; so it 

 is a question of selection only and not of de- 

 struction first, when garden ornaments of a 

 plastic nature are to be considered. Personal 

 taste will naturally influence here, of course; 

 but if it can be restrained from more than in- 

 fluencing, if it can be held back and not allowed 

 actually to guide or finally to determine, the 

 results will usually be happier. This is not be- 

 cause individual taste in matters of art may 

 not be of the very highest order, but because 

 taste of even a high order may fail to take into 

 consideration all the difference in circumstances 

 and conditions which a garden environment 

 involves. 



