44(5 THE COTTAGE GARDENER. Hauch 18. 
.suddenly in sight of the back of the hou.se you are in search 
of, and after a few more turns arrive at the front door to find 
that it is only a short distance from the high road. Now, 
such a length of road is, no doubt, supiiosed to impress the 
visitors with the idea that the grounds through which it 
passes are extensive, whether they are so or not. If a visitor 
were to pass along such a road at night, and was told when 
he entered the gate, and whan he had arrived at the house, 
he might possibly entertain such an opinion ; but it is quite 
certain, that if his visit were made in the broad day, the 
attempted deception would at once be apparent, and, conse¬ 
quently, his impressions the reverse of favourable. 
A few months since, I had occasion to visit some grounds 
where a modification of this style of approach road had 
recently been formed. I will describe its principal features. 
Imagine the high road to lead in nearly a direct line for a 
quarter-of-a-mile or more. You enter the grounds at right 
angles to it at one point, make a bold curve, as nearly a 
semi-circle as possible, and retui’ii to within ten yards of it; 
then, after making another turn, you reach the house, which 
is only a short distance from the high road itself, certainly 
not at a greater distance than one-third the entire length 
of the approach-road. Fig. 4 will better illustrate the 
absurdity of such an aiTangeraent. Thus, in i)assing over 
Fig. i. 
this road to the house, you in reality go a long way to make 
a short journey. The inconsistency was at once so palpable, 
that I ventured to ask why such had been adopted. To 
show the extent of the place, was the reply. I should state, 
that this was in a very extensive property, and that the high 
road in question, although passing near the residence, 
merely divides some portions of the estate. 
Another example. Some time since, a gentleman pur¬ 
chased a very pretty little house, with its accompanying 
grounds, in one of the eastern counties, and immediately 
commenced extensive alterations, himself directing the 
works in person. With the majority of these I have 
nothing to do at present, it is of the approach alone that 1 
wish to speak. The house stood upon a knoll of easy ascent. 
a few’ rods from the high road, and the approach, before the 
commencement of the alterations in question, led up to it 
in a direct and easy manner. But, under the idea of render¬ 
ing the grounds more extensive in appearance, this line of 
road was wholly changed, or, rather, abandoned altogether; 
and now, after entering the gate, instead of proceeding 
directly to the house, as was formerly the case, you diverge 
in nearly an opposite direction, till, having passed the house, 
you make a bold curve, and return to it in a direction exactly 
opposite to that by which you passed the entrance-gate; 
and this to show olf the grounds! The diagram, Fig. .5, in¬ 
dicates the divertion of the existing road. The dotted Hues 
give the original and proper line. 
If we consider the approach to a residence as merely what 
Fig. 5, 
it in reality is, or, at least, what it should be, a convenient 
lueans of access to it, and that any obstacle to this is blemish, 
it will enable us to avoid many inconsistencies in its con¬ 
struction. Let convenience and utility be first considered : 
if these desirable qualities are recognised and worked out 
by good taste, a pleasing combination will always result. It 
may not, perhaps, be a perfect one, or even the best that 
the circumstances will allow; but, at all events, thei’e will 
be little to find fault with either on the score of utility or 
appearance. But, judging from many existing examples in 
