THE TERRACE 77 



plicity, it is not well to greatly multiply them ; and yet it 

 should be remembered that the terrace is not only the 

 narrow strip of raised level ground arranged parallel 

 with the house and laid out along its front, but the 

 whole ground that forms the base or setting for the 

 building. Naturally the terrace may have different 

 forms, from the simple walk, parallel with the house, to 

 the more extensive, massive, and ornate treatment of 

 balustrades and marble-bordered flights of steps, that 

 would properly accompany buildings of more importance. 



The treatment of the terrace should have a definite pro- 

 portion to the size of the house, and to obtain the feel- 

 ing of security and close relation to the house, a balus- 

 trade on the line of some of the terraces may be used 

 effectively; but it seems to the author to be a useless 

 task to attempt to determine beforehand the height and 

 style of the railing, or the width and height of the ter- 

 races, so much depends on the architecture and propor- 

 tions of the house, and, above all, on the special shape of 

 the ground on which the building will rest. We may 

 say in general terms that the greater the depth of slope, 

 the greater should be the distance between the edge of 

 the walk and the slope edge. To unduly shorten this 

 distance is a common mistake; it creates a sense of 

 falling off or insecurity that is inimical to comfort. In 

 the same general way, it may be said that all flat sur- 

 faces of the terrace should have a slight fall, say one 

 inch in ten feet, for the sake of proper drainage. 



Consideration should be also given the landscape views 

 that might be shut off by some ill adjustment of balus- 

 trades and terraces. The effect of the terrace next to 

 the house is to add to its apparent altitude, as the eye 

 insensibly estimates the height from the line of gravel 



