THE SELECTION OF A SITE 23 
shall be a good one. No comfort can be expected if the 
approach to one’s residence is ill-made and badly kept,— 
a mere ‘‘boreen,” as the Irish would say. Neither 
should it be deemed sufficient that a road is likely to be 
made in the near future. The authorities often move 
with unaccountable slowness, and cases are by no means 
uncommon in which unfortunate residents have been 
kept waiting for years before anything more than a 
mere track has been made to their property. Whilst 
other details may to a great extent be modified and 
adapted to meet requirements, this primary consideration 
is unalterable: either there is suitable access or there 
is not. In the latter case, it is extremely doubtful 
whether a host of minor advantages will act as ade- 
quate compensation. 
Unless it is proposed to approach the residence by a 
fairly long drive, a garden situated beside a main road 
has many drawbacks. Chief of these is the dust 
which is constantly raised during the summer months. 
Especially in this age of motor cars, many otherwise 
pretty places are completely disfigured during the time 
they should be most beautiful: shrubs, trees and 
hedges are alike smothered with a thick covering of 
dust. On this account, and for other obvious reasons, 
a branch or bye-road, if well kept, is far preferable as a 
boundary line. 
Presuming that the question of approach has been 
satisfactorily solved, the ‘character of the land, its 
aspect, surroundings and other details present them- 
selves for careful examination. Much will depend upon 
the class of soil with which we are dealing, not only as 
regards its suitability or the reverse for garden opera- 
tions, but because it is a matter directly affecting the 
health and comfort of the owner and his family. 
Heavy clays are of all things to be avoided; they spell 
unceasing labour, and endless discomfort to all whose 
