ORNAMENTING NEW HOMES. 19 



in an nnkempt and slovenly condition. Many a home is 

 built too large to be properly furnished or cared for, and 

 thus becomes a source of anxiety and disappointment. 



The simple, plain, well-built structure, with surround- 

 ings neatly planted and kept up in a neat and finished 

 manner, has more attractiveness, is more enjoyed by the 

 occupants, and adds much more to the appearance of thrift 

 and comfort of a community than .the large showy build- 

 ings without tasteful decoration and outside care. 



While beautiful trees and shrubs may be grown and 

 artistic arrangement of all of the material for home decora- 

 tion be just as well made about a dwelling that has no 

 features of beauty in itself, more satisfactory results may 

 be obtained if the buildings harmonize with the natural 

 surroundings. 



If the buildings are already established, little can be done 

 but adapt the decorations to their characteristics. Much 

 greater beauty is added to the broad, low house by intro- 

 ducing some slender, spiry trees than by using all low- 

 spreading trees, while with the Gothic or other light, high 

 styles of architecture many of the graceful and low-spread- 

 ing trees may be grouped with some of the spiry kinds. 

 In every case there must be a blending of the materials 

 used for decoration with the architecture. 



Plans of Dwelling-houses. 



So much is written at the present time on suburban 

 architecture that no attempt will be made in this volume 

 to give plans for such work. The reader is referred to the 

 numerous works on the subject and to the many careful 

 and well-elaborated plans to be found in our agricultural, 

 horticultural, scientific, and literary papers which, with a 



