12 THE ART AND PRACTICE OF LANDSCAPE GARDENING. 



to the stables or offices ten feet. Or as at Beechy Lees the drives 

 are as shown on the sketch I. A drive with a sharp curve must 

 have a greater width than is necessary in the straight. 



As any one enters on an estate from the public road, he always 

 looks around when just inside the gate, and perhaps, unconsciously, 

 records an impression. It should be a matter of careful study, then, 

 to give to the entrance as much realisation and promise of beauty 

 as may be feasible. The difference between a dusty, untidy road 

 outside, and the shaded, well-trimmed drive within the gate, should 

 be made pleasurably apparent ; and, as far as practicable, a view 

 of the outlying grounds, a stretch of park, or the inner foliage of 

 a wood should be visible through an opening, or be seen in broad 

 expanse for the moment as the visitor passes rapidly on. At all 

 cross roads and turning points, the same inspection occurs, and of 

 necessity the opportunity is most favourable when the visitor alights 

 at the entrance to the house, and contemplates the scene the near 

 view, or the distant outspread prospect that he may afterwards look 

 at so often, but never with more zest than when he receives, 

 perhaps hardly noting it, his first impression. 



Drives that leave the main route for unimportant points, should 

 be curved as soon as may be convenient, so that the eye may not 

 be tempted to explore them, and give to them a certain importance 

 to the detriment of the main drive. It is preferable that the drive 

 rise gradually to the house throughout its whole course ; but if 

 that be not practicable, it is important that it should have an as- 

 cending gradient at least during the last stretch, when the front 

 entrance is in view. If the natural surface at this point be higher 

 than the ground level of the house, it should be lowered so that 

 there may be a rise, however slight, for however short a distance, 

 at this termination of the road. Until the drive be made thus to 

 rise, a straight direction should not be adopted, and a direct view 



