SHELTER. 



21 



cheerfulness of a residence, and that warmth which 

 results from sufficient protection, and tends so much to 

 promote its comfort. Most likely he will endeavor to 

 compound the matter between the two rival claims, and, 

 while he risks some degree of exposure, will seek to miti- 

 gate it by means of shelter. It is commonly found that 

 natural shelter is the most effectual. A hill, or knoll, 

 or low ridge, particularly if covered with trees, is more 

 efficacious than a plantation on a slope ascending to 

 the house. A slight change of position will sometimes 

 be found to have, in this respect, a noticeable influence. 

 In an extensive park or district of country, the aerial 

 currents generally affect a particular track, determined, 

 perhaps, by a gap in a line of hills, the terminating of 

 a ridge, or the contracting of the sides of a valley ; and 

 a small remove from that tract, which may be ascer- 

 tained by observation, may afford the protection re- 

 quired, without much sacrifice of beauty. The site 

 should be open, and, if natural shelter is not to be 

 obtained, recourse must be had to .planting. There 

 are few places, indeed, except in some marine resi- 

 dences, in which this expedient is not of considerable 

 value ; still, in exposed localities, the progress of wood 

 is slow, and one generation may pass away before the 

 result desired can be effectually secured. Meanwhile, 

 the builder of the house may have derived little benefit 

 from the trees which he has planted and reared with 

 great expense. Even for a marine residence the shel- 

 ter of a large rock or knoll is of much consequence. 

 For the sake of a dry and warm site, I should be much 

 disposed to forego some other more showy qualities. 



Note. — The question of shelter depends somewhat 

 on the length of time, and the season of the year, in 



