r A UKS AND PLEASUSE-GSOUKDS 



house. The extent of this gravel and lawn will, of 

 course, be regulated by the size of the whole place. It 

 is seldom expedient to have much lawn in front of the 

 mansion. Generally speaking, it is better that the 

 grazing lands of the park should occupy this position, 

 and that the scenery on this side of the house should 

 partake rather of the character of the park than of the 

 pleasure-grounds. Being limited, then, on the entrance- 

 front of the house, the pleasure-grounds, on the draw- 

 ing-room front and on the other sides, will receive a 

 proportional enlargement. Their actual extent must 

 be determined by the nature of the ground and the 

 size of the park. Perhaps they may include all the 

 space in the vicinity of the house, with the exception 

 of that on the entrance-front, from which may be had 

 the finest views in the park and in the surrounding 

 country. These views add much to the interest and 

 variety of the grounds. If there are few or no pros- 

 pects of this kind, the greater is the necessity that 

 the pleasure-grounds should be so laid out as to 

 awaken interest and to afford gratification within 

 themselves. 



Note. — We must dissent from our author in his re- 

 commendation of "surrounding" the house with the 

 pleasure-grounds. ISTo country house can be complete 

 in its arrangements without an area of ground, of some 

 extent in the rear, inclosed and shut in from the ob- 

 servation of strangers. To say nothing of the conven- 

 ience to servants in the performance of their various 

 daily labors, a part of which are almost indispensably 

 out of doors, access to the house-offices in the rear, 

 with provision, wood, or coal wagons, and a conven- 

 ient contiguity of the out-buildings, demand a retired 



