Although not properly belonging to this subject, needs great care in its selection. Nothing in ornamental gardening can ever atone for a poorly designed house. So, if possible, consult your architect and gardener together; and if you can afford neither, you had better borrow such features as you find in works upon architecture, like the one in hand, using them as your pattern and guide rather than trust your own poor taste, if such only you possess.

The Distance Of The House From The Road

This depends much upon the style or size of the house, and more upon the shape of the lot, which should properly be twice as long as wide. It is also quite important to con-sidei the views to be obtained or obstructed by surroundings. In general, all the houses in a block should front on the same line, and the center of the house should be placed hack from the street one-fourth or one-third the length of the lot, the distance being increased with the increased width of the lot, providing the lengths are the same, as is usually the case in cities and villages. Upon a lot ten rods long, this brings a house that is thirty-three feet long, from twenty-five to thirty-five feet from the road, the shorter distance being about the least admissible in such sized lots, especially if all owners on the block can agree. And between these distances, the economic use to which you might desire to put your back yard, or the ornamental use to which you might wish to devote your front yard, must determine each case.

Then, too, if your lot is very high above the grade, prudence would dictate not to use the less distance, but rather to increase the greater distance, thus giving less pitch per rod from the house to sidewalk. The pitch should in no case exceed one foot to the rod, not more than half this being desirable; and even then the surface should be a little full near the center, giving it a slight convexity, which in creases the apparent breadth of lawn.