366 AGRICULTURE. 



the building and emphasizes its importance. 

 Many other places might be mentioned where 

 the formal style of gardening would be effective 

 and desirable. But over large estates, in rural 

 places and suburban homes, where the char- 

 acter of the surrounding landscape retains much 

 of its natural beauty, a formal system would be 

 entirely out of place. 



II. Natural Style. 



This is best liked by Americans for country 

 homes and schools, and is certainly the one best 

 adapted to them. Nature furnishes ample 

 material and many suggestions for the arrange- 

 ment of it. He who succeeds in preserving the 

 natural charms of a place, its spirit and senti- 

 ment, thouorh he does not attain to the hiehest 

 perfection, is far in advance of the one whose 

 first attempt is to obliterate everything natural in 

 order that he may substitute some stilted and 

 artificial plan. 



Though the landscape-artist has given due 

 respect to the natural surroundings, that is not 

 all there is for him to do. It is only a right 

 beginning. He has now the artificial features — 

 walks, drives, fences, etc. — to blend and harmon- 

 ize in his landscape. These should be as few 

 as convenience will permit. " They should 

 neither be so straight as to lack beauty, nor so 

 meandering as to lack good sense."* There 



* M. G. Van Rensselaer's Aft Out of Doo7-s. 



