140 
PLANS OF RESIDENCES 
two. They will soon crowd each other too closely, but they pay 
for themselves quickly, and die early. There is no question of the 
great superiority of peaches grown to ripeness on one’s own trees, 
over the half-ripe beauties of the markets ; and if the proprietor, to 
have their fruit, is willing to guard their health, he must also be 
willing to bear with their mature ugliness. 
We will now describe the plan with reference to those things 
which are planted for their decorative effect alone ; premising^ 
however, that walks, arbors, and fruit trees, are quite as much a 
part of the embellishments of the ground as evergreens or flower- 
ing shrubs : and are all placed with reference to their effect in 
connection with the latter. 
The plan supposes a slight downward slope of the ground from 
the house to the outside street boundaries ; the floor of the house 
being about four feet above the lawn adjoining it, and the latter 
unbroken by terraces or architectural forms of any kind. It is 
intended as a plain example of conformity to good taste in arrange- 
ment, rather than of any great art in gardening ; and combines as 
much length of open lawn, with as great a variety of trees, shrubs, 
and flowers as the size will admit of, without making it an expen- 
sive place to keep. 
The front walk is six feet wide. The gate posts are set back five 
feet from the street line. On a line with the posts, and from two 
to five feet from them, a pair of trees are to be planted to form an 
arch over the gate. If large trees like elms or pines are used, let 
them be planted at the greater distance ; if small trees like the 
sassafras, the nettle tree, or the red-bud or Judas tree {cercis) are 
employed, two feet from the posts will be enough. If a more arti- 
ficial form of verdant arch is desired, the proprietor can choose 
some of the trees and forms recommended in Chapter XIV. The 
American weeping elm or the Scotch elm, arch a gateway quickly and 
nobly, but will eventually be so large as to shade the whole of that 
part of the yard. A pair of sassafras trees, planted within two or 
three feet of the walk, would make one of the richest natural can- 
opies over the gate, but perhaps too much like a parasol, and not 
enclosing the way sufficiently on the sides ; but by planting beneath 
them, in the inner curve of the fence, the tree-box, which does well 
