TASTE AND TACT IN ARRANGING HOME AND OTHER GROUNDS. 133 



the east of the 



12 



surface. It may not be possible to work out landscape 

 effects on a very grand scale within the limits of a good- 

 sized door-yard, but this much may safely be said : it is 

 often astonishing how near this thing can be approxi- 

 mated in such areas if we but keep the ideal in mind when 

 arranging the garden. In our subscriber's case, and in 

 the line with this principle, we would take up every one 

 of the present walks and arrange others, with the view 

 to making them more direct, while several broad grass- 

 plats could be provided that would afford some excellent 

 landscape effects. It will be seen by reference to Fig. i 

 that the following features of the walk system are con- 

 sidered essential to its completeness : Entrances from 

 the highway in front and the drive, E 



house, leading to the front 



veranda; walks from the side 

 veranda to the west drive, 

 E, and to the barn-yard. 

 The other walks have no ob- 

 jective points, hence it is 

 assumed that they were pro- 

 vided either for ornament 

 or merely to give access to 

 other parts of the grounds, 

 or for both purposes. 



Keeping in mind what ap- 

 pear to be the essential feat- 

 ures in the walks, there is 

 provided in the new plan, at 

 Fig. 2, an entrance from 

 both the east drive and the 

 highway, but this is in the 

 shape of one continuous 

 walk of easy sweep from 

 gate to gate, and touching 

 the veranda steps of the 

 house, I, at its farthest bend. 

 In a very simple manner the 

 same walk from near its 

 street entrance is continued 

 along to the west of the 

 house, with a bend touching 

 the west veranda, and then it 

 extends by a graceful sweep 

 to the right, meeting the 



curved carriage-way near where the latter enters the 

 barn-yard. Thus one simple, short, handsome walk 

 gives access from the west veranda both to the drive 

 and the barn-yard, whereas by the old plan two walks 

 fully four times the length of the one here suggested were 

 needed to serve the same end. In place of the walks of 

 the old plan besides those referred to, what can be de- 

 sired more pleasant to walk upon in reaching the various 

 parts of the grounds than an even, closely-clipped green- 

 sward ? Such walks are the cheapest, handsomest and 

 most comfortable that can be provided for the purpose. 



Mention must be made of the change suggested for 

 the course of the west drive. The one now proposed is 

 in the form of an easy curve, as against the straight drive 



of the old plan. The advantages are several; As a 

 curve, it possesses the quality of beauty in a degree im- 

 possible to the straight course ; it is more direct between 

 the barn and the entrance ; it permits of a shorter walk 

 between the latter and the dwelling ; and lastly, it serves 

 to separate the vegetable garden from the lawn, while 

 the old drive runs beyond the former. 



In deciding on this particular course, the introduction 

 of a belt and some masses of trees to break the west 

 wind, of which our correspondent complains, was kept 

 constantly in mind. It has also been taken for granted 

 that if a windbreak would be desirable for sheltering 

 the house and yard, it would be well to extend it so as 

 to shelter the barn and its yard. Accordingly, in Fig. 2 



The Editor's Suggestions for the Improvement of the Place (Fig. 



is shown an irregular line of trees from the street back 

 as far as the barn or beyond, occupying the line of the 

 old carriage-road as far as it goes. By this means the 

 vegetable-garden also becomes sheltered from the west 

 winds, instead of being exposed as in the former design. 

 The screen also affords another advantage— it provides 

 a balance to the general planting in the way of offsetting 

 the orchard that is to the left of the buildings. 



This screen might consist of a variety of growths, 

 such as Austrian, white and Scotch pines, Norway and 

 hemlock spruces, larches, etc., which can be bought very 

 cheap at the evergreen nurseries. It will be observed 

 that at the street end the screen projects considerably to 

 the left, and that it is wider just back of the vegetable 



