270 LANDSCAPE GARDENING. 



to bear them in mind, as it is infinitely more easy to make 

 occasional deviations iirom general rules, than to earn* out a 

 tasteful improvement without any guiding principles. 



There are many fine country residences on the banks of 

 the Hudson, Connecticut, and other rivers, where the propri- 

 etors are often much perplexed and puzzled by the situation 

 of their houses ; the building presenting really txco fronts, 

 while they appear to desire only one. Such is the case when 

 the estate is situated between the public road on one side, and 

 the river on the other ; and we have often seen the Approach 

 artificially tortured into a long circuitous route, in order 

 finally to arrive at what the proprietor considers the true front, 

 viz.. the side nearest the river. When a building is so situa- 

 ted, much the most elegant effect is produced by having two 

 fronts : one, the entrance front, with the porch or portico 

 nearest the road, and the other, the river front, facing the 

 water. The beauty of the whole is often surprisingly en- 

 hanced by this arrangement, for the visiter after passing by 

 the Approach through a considerable portion of the grounds, 

 with perhaps, but slight and partial glimpses of the river, is 

 most agreeably surprised on entering the house, and looking 

 from the drawing-room windows of the other front, to behold 

 another beautiful scene totally different irom the last, enriched 

 and ennobled by the wide-spread sheet of water before him. 

 Much of the effect produced by this agreeable surprise from the 

 interior, it will readily be seen, would be lost if the stranger 

 had ciiready driven round and alighted on the river front. 



The Drive, is a variety of road rarely seen among us. yet 

 which may be made a very agreeable feature in some of our 

 country residences, at a small expense. It is intended for ex- 

 ercise more secluded than that upon the public road, and to 

 show the interesting portions of the place from the carriage, 



