September, 1915 



THE GARDEN MAGAZINE 



surmounted by a turned 

 urn or ball, very simple, or 

 fluted and otherwise hand 

 carved, as best accords 

 with the other detail of the 

 whole post. Most old 

 Colonial gateways of this 

 sort, unless very elaborate, 

 can be duplicated for $50 

 or so. The inside of the 

 post near the iground 

 should be creosoted to pre- 

 vent rot, and its life may 

 be doubled by setting it 

 upon a concrete base to 

 prevent contact with the 

 earth. 



Brick houses of English 

 cottage feeling and those 

 of the modern straight-line 

 type permit of exceed- 

 ingly simple and rather 

 heavy wooden gates, 

 whether in a hedge or 

 wall. The gate-posts need 

 not be at all conspicuous, 

 and piers are unnecessary 

 gates are usually treated 

 brown creosote stain or white paint. The 

 latter is preferable for gates in stone 

 walls laid up Germantown style with white 

 mortar joints. With unpainted rough stone 

 walls nothing is more pleasing than gate- 

 ways of oak untreated in any way. They 

 weather to a beautiful pearly gray that 

 harmonizes delightfully with the wall and 

 with flowers and foliage near by. Copper 

 nails or wooden pins obviate rust stains on 

 the wood. A more elaborate entrance is 

 secured by square brick or stone piers, 

 somewhat higher than the wall and thicker, 

 but laid up in similar bond with an over- 

 hanging cap of bricks or cut stone. Gate- 

 way piers are also seen in hedges with no 

 accompanying fence of any sort. 



For carriage entrances to large estates modern wrought iron gates in fancy designs are in great variety. 

 The vine covered wall supports them fittingly 



The 



with 



wooden 

 a dark 



Concrete, brick or stone piers and a wall 

 or hedge are the appropriate accompani- 

 ments of a wrought iron gate, unless one 

 prefers an all iron fence, when the gate and 

 all of the posts may be of iron. The danger 

 will always be toward too elaborate designs, 

 which in no sense accord with the true 

 spirit of country or suburban home. Once 

 again we can with pride look back for in- 

 spiration to the work of our early craftsmen 

 whose gemus, tempered by the frugality of 

 the times, forced grace and beauty into the 

 simplest of designs. In the Southern states, 

 particularly in Charleston, there is a wealth 

 of this splendid work. 



Whatever the type of fence and whether 

 it is open or closed, its height must depend 

 upon the surroundings and the purpose it 

 serves. The simpler its construction, al- 



ways in accord with the 

 style of the house, the 

 better, for the fence should 

 not detract from either 

 the house or its gardens 

 and grounds; distinctly 

 architectural, it is still a 

 part of the grounds, ser- 

 ving to separate distinctly 

 but unobtrusively private 

 from civic property and 

 to separate and sometimes 

 to screen different portions 

 of an estate, as the lawn, 

 garden, service and stable 

 yards. Posts or piers 

 rising above the top of the 

 fence and breaking its 

 horizontal line at intervals 

 of eight to ten feet 

 strengthen the structure, 

 lend variety and create an 

 interesting silhouette. 



Carriage entrance gate- 

 ways are much the same 

 as those for footpaths, 

 except for their larger size, which makes two- 

 part gates desirable to prevent sagging, 

 and permits more pretention in treatment. 

 Here even more than in smaller gateways, 

 however, there is grave danger of too much 

 elaboration either in an attempt toward 

 grandeur, individuality or even unique 

 effect. Many a good house pales in interest 

 behind its showy entrance. This is not 

 right; an entrance should be subordinate 

 to the house though worthy of it. The 

 house sets the key and entrance should be 

 in tune, echoing the spirit of style and con- 

 structive material. Unique effects are good 

 only in rare instances, and one should as- 

 sure himself of possessing a keen appre- 

 ciation of architectural and landscape 

 values, and a true sense of propriety before 

 attempting them. 



Dry laid stone wall with privet hedge and old colonial 

 wood gate painted white are made a dominant garden fea- 

 ture (Lexington, Mass.) 



Plain cut stone and brick combination which gives a 

 rich color effect to the entrance quite apart from the 

 gate 



The pier effect may be produced by the use of appro- 

 priate evergreens fronting on stone work (Box and native 

 red cedar) 



