20 Farmers' Bulletin 1087. 



be necessary to build with one side facing on a higher level than the 

 other. If the level areas are of reasonable extent, although at dif- 

 ferent heights and separated from each other, the desired impression 

 may still be given. The many discomforts of living with a side hill 

 at the threshold are a vivid reality only to those who have experi- 

 enced them. 



The area that should be set aside for the house lot is dependent on 

 so many factors that it is hard to give rules. The larger and more 

 pretentious the house the more land should appear to be with it. 

 The least there should be is the greatest amount of space that the 

 family can use and enjoy. The minimum would seem to be five times 

 as much ground as is covered by the house, although twenty times as 

 much would be better, with enough room added for a tennis court, 



FIG. 21. A farmstead having too many unrelated buildings. 



croquet ground, or other playground, and a liberal flower garden. 

 Though it may be necessary to have a lawn which is small, it is 

 frequently possible to increase the apparent size by making adjacent 

 areas appear to belong with it (lig. 20). If the apparent size can not 

 be increased, as suggested under lawns, it should be at least possible 

 to prevent the dwarfing of the appearance by growing only low crops 

 in the near-by fields, keeping tall crops and orchards at a little dis- 

 tance. Where this is impracticable the- area of the home lot should 

 be doubled or trebled. 



The barns as well as the house should be well located, and not 

 only must they be properly arranged to facilitate the farm work 

 and be accessible to the road, but they must be reasonably con- 

 venient to the house without being too close, prominent, or obtrusive. 

 They should be so situated with respect to the house that the pre- 



