WALKS AND LAWNS 35 
of doors; it is the setting for the host of beautiful 
flowers and shrubs which come to gladden our hearts as 
the warm sun dispels the snows and mists of winter. 
That style of design must be accounted best which 
spares no pains to give a fair spreading lawn to every 
garden, no matter what its size. Nothing tends to give 
greater breadth and dignity to a place than a stretch of 
well kept turf, and nothing is more restful to the eye 
than the prospect of cool greensward. The lawn, or 
a portion of it, should always be seen from the best parts 
of the house; not even the choicest shrubs, or the rich- 
est terrace gardens, will satisfy in the same manner. On 
large lawns there may be recesses at intervals, in which 
tender plants or choice colonies of lilies, backed with 
rhododendrons and azalea, will receive comparative 
shelter. 
The size and shape of lawns intended for croquet and 
tennis will necessarily be determined by the rules of the 
game, often, unfortunately, to the detriment of the general 
effect. The sunk lawn, surrounded with a low bank, 
which is often made for croquet, is by no means beauti- 
ful, and the banks, unless made with an easy slope, are 
difficult to keep evenly trimmed. For both games the 
designer would do well to consider the comfort of spec- 
tators, who are frequently compelled to sit in the blazing 
sun. A shady pergola with convenient openings would 
be very welcome if covering a path running parallel to 
the lawn; or a clipped yew hedge, though somewhat 
heavy and lacking both colour and variety, might add 
considerably to the pleasures of the onlookers. At any 
rate, a shady cloister of living plants would be far 
preferable to the stuffy little summer-house which is 
often the only form of shelter. 
The impression of space is very ably conveyed by a 
good lawn, and this is the more easily attained if there 
are but few walks in the vicinity. An irregular fringe 
