CHAPTER IX. 



WOODLAND DRIVES AND GRASS WALKS. 



In the larger country places the often noble oppor- 

 tunities for beautiful woodland drives are not always 

 seized, sometimes because people have the primitive 

 and wholly inartistic idea that the proper way to make 

 a drive is to plant two or four lines of trees along it. 

 These are often set far too close, and as they are 

 rarely thinned in time, the whole ends in a gloomy 

 tunnel without air, light, or shade. Even where the 

 avenue is not the 'leading feature,' drives through 

 woods and parks are too narrow. 



Fine airy effects might be got by breadths of low 

 covert or fern beside drives, and these drives should 

 take the line of easiest grade, and the best for views 

 where possible. There is no reason why drives should 

 not pass under trees here and there, but, generally, 

 a better effect is got by keeping the groups and fine 

 trees a little off the drive, and having bold groups of 



