462 



AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 



December, 1907 



A Due Proportion Between Piers and Gates Is Essential 



to it soon looks as unkempt as the man who forgets to shave. 

 Those who can aftord to keep a gardener get abundant satis- 

 faction from one of these rich green hedges, but the man of 

 lesser circumstances, unless he finds recreation in puttering 

 around his garden after business hours, finds it a kind of 

 "bugbear." 



Fences and gates of timberwork can be made attractive 

 with but little expense and labor. Wooden posts, six or 

 eight inches square, with either square or fancy caps, form 

 the simple foundation of a gate, either single or double — for 

 path or carriage. This wooden gate can be made in any de- 

 sign, according to the notions of the builder. Two espe- 

 cially attractive designs are shown in the illustrations. Some- 

 times rough lumber is used 

 in construction, sometimes 

 that which has been planed 

 and put through a lathe. 

 If made of rough material, 

 wood-stain is used for a 

 finish; if of smooth, regu- 

 lation house paint. 



Brick pillars are best 

 suited for marking the 

 street entrances to preten- 

 tious country places, to pub- 

 lic buildings or parks. The 

 one shown in the Illustra- 

 tion reflects the Japanese 

 motif which predominates 

 in the residence on the 

 grounds. The huge black 

 Japanese lantern that caps 

 the masonry is most effec- 

 tive, giving a brisk touch of 

 both character and style. 

 In building these brick pil- 

 lars the walls are first made 

 with single thickness of 

 brick, after which the in- 

 terior is filled with cement 

 — a poor quality will answer 

 for this quite as well as the 



best. This filling gives 

 strength and durability. 



Another kind of ma- 

 sonry that is popular for 

 fence posts and entrance 

 monuments is that known 

 as "rubble-stone." It is 

 made up of stones of all 

 kinds and sizes, and there 

 is a freedom and careless- 

 ness about it that is excep- 

 tionally pleasing. A most 

 attractive example of this 

 style of work is shown in 

 one of the accompanying 

 illustrations. On the street 

 line is a large monument 

 showing immense irregular 

 boulders at the wide base 

 and smaller ones at the top. 

 From this a quaint tiled 

 roof extends across the 

 walk, being supported on 

 the opposite side by a 

 smaller rubble-stone monu- 

 ment. An iron gate of 

 simple design completes the 

 happy ensemble. 

 In Southern California cobblestones are used extensively 

 for walls, as supports for heavy fence rails, and for street 

 pillars. The effects obtained with them are often striking. 

 They are easily obtained from the dry beds of arroyos and 

 washes, and are less expensive than any other kind of rock. 

 On the ground they are worth from twenty-five to fifty cents 

 a load, while teamsters charge from two dollars and a half 

 to three dollars for hauling. 



The street entrance leading to a plastered "Mission" 

 house, to be in harmony with the scheme, should be accented 

 by plastered monuments with caps of red tile. The frame- 

 work for these monuments consists of two-by-four scantlings 

 sheathed with one-inch boards with metal lath and plaster. 



Elaborate Designs in Wrought Iron Are often Effective 



