or ourselves we
appreciate much more than that which we hire made for us. The object of
this paper is to assist home-makers in doing just this kind of work. I
shall endeavor to make it so plain and practical that anyone so inclined
can do all that needs doing in a satisfactory manner. It may not have
that nicety of finish, when completed, that characterizes the work of
the professional, but it will harmonize with its surroundings more
perfectly, perhaps, and will afford us quite as much pleasure as the
work of the expert.

If the house has just been built, very likely everything about it is in
a more or less chaotic condition. Odds and ends of lumber, mortar,
brick, and all kinds of miscellaneous building material scattered all
over the place, the ground uneven, treeless, shrubless, and utterly
lacking in all the elements that go to make a place pleasing and
attractive. Out of this chaos order must be evolved, and the evolution
may be satisfactory in every way--if we only begin right.

The first thing to do is to clear away all the rubbish that clutters up
the place. Do not make the mistake of dumping bits of wood into hollows
with the idea that you are making a good foundation for a lawn-surface.
This wood will decay in a year or two, and there will be a depression
there. Fill into the low places only such matter as will retain its
original proportions, like brick and stone. Make kindling-wood of the
rubbish from lumber, or burn it. Get rid of it in some way before you
begin operations. What you want, at this stage of the proceedings, is a
ground entirely free from anything that will interfere with grading the
surface of it.

If the lot upon which the house stands is a comparatively level one--or
rather, was, before the house was built--it is generally easy to secure
a slope from the house on all sides, by filling in about the building
with the soil thrown up from the cellar or in making excavation for the
walls. If no excavation of any kind has been made--and quite often,
nowadays, foundation walls are built _on_ the ground instead of starting
a foot or two below the surface,--a method never to be advised because
of the risk of injury to the building from the action of frost in the
soil,--it may be necessary to make the lot evenly level, unless one goes
to the expense of filling in. A slight slope away from the house-walls
is always desirable, as it adds vastly to the general effect. Enough
soil to secure this slop