30 



and a row on each side would destroy and completely break up any at- 

 tempt at breadth of view. The road should rather appear to curve 

 round and pass through masses of trees and shrubbery plantations. 

 While attention may be given to partially shading the road by placing 

 suitable trees mainly on the south and west sides, yet these shade trees 

 should form only a portion of groups, with an occasional isolated single 

 specimen tree ; or, what is still better, two trees of the same kind set 6 

 to 10 feet apart, so that when they grow up they will give a distant ap- 

 pearance as of a single tree, with the additional variety of aspect when 

 closely viewed. The planting of groups should be more extensive and 

 massive on the inner circle, around which the road will curve, with 

 frequent open vistas looking in upon the lawn. The width and length 

 of the road and extent of lawn will designate the size of the groups, 

 and also suggest the particular kind of trees and shrubs of which they 

 are to be composed. Shade trees may be thus introduced in sufficient 

 quantities, even on winding roads, to answer the combined purposes of 

 shade and garniture, without producing an appearance of strained ef- 

 fort to secure it. 



Where the road is wholly on the southern side of the dwelling, decidu- 

 ous trees should be used in front or near the building. If the entrance- 

 and the road are north of the house, a straight avenue of evergreen 

 trees will form an admirable feature, if ample space is allowed for both 

 road and trees. The Norway spruce is, perhaps, the first choice of tree 

 for such planting. The hemlock spruce is the more graceful and the 

 best adapted to short roads or narrow grounds. The Austrian, the 

 Scotch, and the white pine may be used where the grounds are exten- 

 sive. Even when the Norway spruce is used the parallel lines should 

 be 60 feet apart, not only to admit of sun and winds to act directly on 

 the roadway, but also to give ample room for the spread of the lower 

 branches of the trees ; and in no case should they be planted nearer 

 than 16 feet from the edge of the road, and when the larger and more 

 widely-spreading pines are used, a space of at least 20 feet should be 

 given. A very meager effect will result from planting close to road- 

 ways, narrowing them into mere strips, which for at least one-half of 

 the year are seldom dry. 



PLANTING NEAR BUILDINGS. 



A mischievous error, and one too frequently perpetrated, is that of 

 placing trees close to buildings. Although trees and shrubs are the 

 chief decorative ornaments of a place, they become not only disagree- 

 ble but positively injurious to animal life, when closely massed around 

 a habitation, by shutting out light and preventing the rays of the sun 

 and drying action of the winds from exerting their salutary influence on 

 the walls, which in consequence are constantly damp and unhealthy. 

 Where large trees are allowed to spread and overhang the roofs, choking 

 gutters and water }ea4ers ? au4 causing a, Deposit of mold ancj other 



