668 Select Suburban Residences. 



by glades of turf. They are scattered over the general surface of 

 the lawn, so as to produce a continually varying effect, as viewed 

 from the walks ; and so as to disguise the boundary, and prevent 

 the eye from seeing from one extremity of the grounds to the 

 other, and thus ascertain their extent. The only points at 

 which the lawn is seen directly across from the drawingroom 

 window are in the direction of /and m,fig. 165. in p. 656, 657.; 

 but, through these openings, the grass field beyond appears 

 united with the lawn ; so that the extent thus given to the views 

 from the drawingroom windows is of the greatest assistance to 

 the character of the place, with reference to extent. From 

 every other part of the grounds, the views across the lawn are 

 interrupted by some tree, bush, or object which conceals the 

 boundary ; or, if the boundary is seen on one side, as in passing 

 along the walk from 16 by 18 to 22, there is ample space on the 

 lawn side to keep up the idea of extent. 



In many situations, this walk, as seen on paper, would be 

 considered to be too near the boundary ; but in the grounds the 

 narrow plantation from 22 to 18 is of evergreens, chiefly hollies, 

 which already partially shut out all view of the boundary or the 

 field, and which are ultimately intended to spread their upper 

 branches over the walk, so as to give it a character of shade and 

 gloom, different from any other in these grounds. In general, it 

 may be laid down as a rule, that the boundary between a lawn 

 and the park or field beyond should not be such as to cut the 

 landscape, as it were, in two; and another rule is, that the walks 

 should never be so near this fence, or should not be so conducted 

 when near it, as to admit of the spectator looking directly across. 

 Indeed, in scenery, no rule is generally more applicable than 

 this; viz. that all straight lines, whether fences, roads, canals, or 

 rivers, and all regular symmetrical objects, such as buildings, 

 should be looked at obliquely. Applying this rule, therefore, 

 to the scenery between the walk and the fence, from 18 to 16, 

 we should say that either the direction of the walk ought to be 

 altered, so as to remove it further from the boundary, or the 

 boundary extended further into the field ; and instead of being 

 bordered by a hedge-like fringe of shrubs, it should only be 

 broken here and there by occasional bushes and trees, connected 

 and harmonising in position with other trees beyond the fence. 

 If it were desirable to avoid altering the boundary, then we 

 should recommend continuing the walk which commences at d 

 near 19, by n and o o, to p near 16. If there were nothing to 

 see or be seen beyond the boundary, then, unless the boundary 

 fence were a conservative wall, that is, a wall covered with 

 half-hardy ornamental plants, we should still prefer changing 

 the direction of the walk, so as to take away from the monoto- 

 nous appearance of continually skirting the boundary. In every 



