November, 1910 



AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 



449 



work between will be much more attractive than the ordi- 

 nary affair of iron and wire. The trellis work might have 

 openings in it like windows which could be covered with 

 wire. The vines would then grow on the trellis and could 

 be kept off the wire, preserving the open appearance but 

 stopping the balls just the same. 



The court should always lie north and south which gives 

 the best light for the players, and the grand stand or 

 judges' platform should be on the west side, so that the 

 spectators will not look into the sun when watching a 

 game in the afternoon. 



The entrance to the court should be in the middle, not 

 at an end through 

 a gate in the back 

 net. 



The judge s' 

 stand should be 

 slightly raised above 

 the court, and it 

 combines well with 

 steps from a higher 

 terrace or with a 

 tea house or a per- 

 gola. The tea 

 house might have a 

 broad terrace i n 

 front which would 

 serve as a grand 

 stand for the "gal- 

 lery." 



A very good 

 arrangement is to 

 have a broad walk 

 or terrace eighteen 

 inches or two feet 

 higher than the 

 court, completely 

 surrounding It. Such 

 a terrace permits 

 endless architectural 

 embellishmen,t, I n 

 the way of seats, 

 balustrades, retain- 

 ing walls, etc. 



A combination of 

 bowling green and 

 tennis court is very 

 desirable, because 

 the bowling green 

 should be large 

 enough for three or 

 four courts. One 

 court can then be 

 laid out wherever 

 one likes and still 

 leave room for 

 bowling. 



The tennis court 

 should be near the 

 house, yet not too 

 near or It will not 

 be sufficiently se- 

 cluded for the neg- 

 ligee attire one likes when playing tennis. If a broad ter- 

 race comes between the house and the court, or if a long 

 walk connects it with a garden or with the forecourt, it will 

 be better than having it close to the house. In any case 

 the tea house or grandstand should be at the end of a vista 

 or on some important axis, where it will add to the general 

 scheme of the place and where its location will at once be 

 felt to be reasonable and proper. 



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Where the place Is all side hill it may often be impossi- 

 ble to get such a large level area as a tennis court near the 

 house or even connected with It, and in this case it may be 

 better to have the court away from the house and hidden 

 from it, making a separate little layout which might be no 

 less delightful, because somewhat casual and unexpected. I 

 think it will be found that a tennis court properly located 

 and with its architectural features thoughtfully designed 

 will take a different place in the life of the estate and will 

 become the centre of all the outdoor functions; garden par- 

 ties, teas, theatricals and concerts will all find a convenient 

 setting in such a court. It is desirable to have tall trees on 



the sides of the 

 courts to give 

 shade, but they 

 should not be 

 planted at the 

 north or south be- 

 cause In failing 

 light (when one is 

 often forced to 

 play) the ball can- 

 not be seen against 

 a background o f 

 trees as readily as 

 against the sky. 



The photograph 

 on page 448 shows 

 an Interesting log 

 cabin used as a sum- 

 mer house at the 

 side of the tennis 

 court. 



The photograph 

 on page 450 shows 

 a court with a per- 

 gola at one side 

 and this seems a 

 pleasing arrange- 

 ment. On this court 

 a novel and ingeni- 

 ous scheme was 

 tried. The lines of 

 the court are two 

 inches wide, of 

 crested dogtall 

 grass, which is a 

 light or yellowish 

 green, while the 

 rest of the court Is 

 principally dark 

 blue green Ken- 

 tucky blue grass. 



This Is done by 



seeding first with 



the Kentucky blue 



grass. When that 



has formed a good 



turf the lines of the 



court are marked 



out with string and 



a narrow strip of 



sod two and a half 



inches wide is cut out on the lines, which are then filled with 



strips of soil of the crested dogtail grass, which was sown 



for this purpose in another place. 



How durable this Is or how long it will be before the 

 grasses become so intermixed that the lines lose their sharp- 

 ness, I do not know; nor do I know whether the contrast is 

 sufficiently sharp to make one sure of them when playing a 

 swift game, but the Idea Is excellent and adaptable to many 



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