THE GENERAL PLAN OR THEORY OF THE PLACE 59 



will study the building as a whole, grasp its design and meaning, 

 and suggest improvements that will add to the forcefulness 

 of the entire structure. A dabbler 

 would add a chimney here, a win- 

 dow there, and apply various daubs 

 of paint to the building. Each of 

 these features might be good in 

 itself. The paints might be the 

 best of ochre, ultramarine, or paris 

 green, but they might have no rela- 

 tion to the building as a whole and 

 would be only ludicrous. These two 

 examples illustrate the difference 

 between landscape gardening and 



55. An upland garden, with 

 grass-grown steps, sundial, 

 and edge of foxgloves. 



the scattering over the place 

 of mere ornamental features. 



There should be one cen- 

 tral and emphatic point in 

 the picture. A picture of a 

 battle draws its interest from 

 the action of a central fig- 

 ure or group. The moment 

 the incidental and lateral fig- 

 ures are made as prominent 

 as the central figures, the 

 picture loses emphasis, life, 

 56. A garden corner. ^.^^ meaning. The borders 



of a place are of less importance than its center. Therefore 

 Keep the center of the place open; 

 Frame and mass the sides; Avoid scattered effects. 



