78 OUT-OF-TOWN PLACES. 



Thatch, indeed, does not take on with us, and 



under our climate, that mellow mossiness which be- 

 longs to it in Devonshire. Our winds are too high 

 and drying, and the sun too hot. Still, a thatch pro- 

 perly laid will, with us, keep its evenness for a great 

 number of years ; and for the benefit of those living 

 within easy reach of the coast, I may say that nothing 

 is better for this purpose than the sedge (so called) 

 of the salt marshes. 



In default of thatch, however, very pretty rural 

 effects may be made by slabs (being log-trimmings 

 from the saw-mills), or oak bark (which is almost 

 imperishable), or by scolloped shingles. 



An example of the effect of these latter I venture 

 to give. 



In this case, all beneath the roof is of cedar with 

 the bark undisturbed, while the posts above the roof 

 are trimmed to a square, tapering and carrying a ball 

 the balls and tho tapering extremities of the posts 



