OKNAMENTAL GAKDENING. 116 



then we might excusie him ; but he has a wide front on the 

 road and acres of lawn, upon which, however, lie has 

 planted no groups of trees, although the place abounds 

 with fine specimens, all of which are planted along the 

 borders of straight walks, roads, or by the side of the 

 fences. Straight walks are seldom admissible, even in the 

 smallest places, especially where anything like ornamenta- 

 tion of grounds is attempted ; but a curved walk or road, 

 with no apparent reason for making it so, is equally objec- 

 tionable. The object should be to make it appear that all 

 bends or variations from straight lines were compulsory, 

 and that we pass around a group of trees, a clump of 

 shrubs, a rock, or other obstacle to our progress. If such 

 do not exist, then we should erect them, and place such in 

 every curve, and occasionally along the whole line of the 

 walk. We often see serpentine walks and roads which 

 would be really an improvement to the grounds in which 

 they are, provided a cause for their winding course were 

 shown. 



There was a time when the more a man departed from 

 nature in arranging his garden, the more skillful he was 

 considered. In those times trees and shrubs were trimmed 

 into all kinds of fantastic shapes, and birds and animals 

 were represented, instead of leaving them to grow in their 

 natural and more beautiful form. At that period the main 

 walks were laid out straight, with which the smaller were 

 connected at right angles ; flower beds were made square or 

 circular; no graceful outline or imitation of nature was at- 

 tempted. But it is supposed we have progressed in the art 

 of ornamental gardening, and at the present day we choose 



