156 THK VILLA GARDENEK. 



CHAPTER II. 



COUNTRY VILLAS, 



239. Country villas, even of the smallest size, differ from suburban villas, 

 in not being regulated in the situation of the house by any street or road. 

 Hitherto, we have been limited, by the necessity of keeping the front of the 

 house in a line with the fronts of other houses ; and by the right-lined boun- 

 dary of the garden, as well as by its comparatively limited extent ; but now 

 we are released from these trammels, unless we except some cases where 

 a plot of ground of a few acres in extent, may be bordered by straight lines, 

 which is no great disadvantage in this comparatively large space, and more 

 especially where the ground has an irregular surface. We shall, therefore, 

 in these designs, be enabled to introduce greater variety, as well as a greater 

 number of objects, in each design. If to irregularity of outline, and the 

 extent of a few acres, irregularity of surface be added, and the choice left 

 as to the situation of the house, all the leading desiderata necessary to 

 make a fine place are present ; and, whether such a place be produced or not, 

 will, all other circumstances (such as climate, soil, water, &c.) being favour- 

 able, depend on the taste of the designer, and the liberality of his employer 

 in regard to the sum to be laid out. 



SECTION I. 



GENERAL OBSERVATIONS ON COUNTRY VILLAS. 



240. The most important point of difference between a suburban and a country 

 villa, is undoubtedly the circumstance of the latter never forming part of a 

 street or road : but there are several other distinctive marks of difterence. In 

 giving designs for suburban gardens, we have supposed, in almost every 

 case, that the surface is flat, and the space limited ; and, consequently, that 

 the beauties to be produced must necessarily be included within the enclosure. 

 In some cases, indeed, we have suggested that adjoining trees, and other 

 objects might be admitted to view ; and, in others, that unsightly objects 

 might be excluded by trees ; but, as there is in general, very little scope for 

 exercising this kind of art in laying out street gardens, we have hitherto not 

 said much on the subject. In the gardens of which we are now about to 

 treat, however, and especially such as have an uneven surface, the exterior 

 landscape necessarily forms a constant object of attention, in laying out the 

 surface of the area within the boundary. Without a nice attention to the 

 adjoining grounds, and the manner in which they are planted, biult on, or laid 

 out; and adapting the foregrounds and middle distances to them, as the case 

 may require ; the effect produced will not be entitled to be considered as 

 landscape, in the artistical sense of that word, 



241. What constitutes an artistical landscape. — It may be necessary to 



