W A 



had <^TC2i rec^ard to the natural fituatlon of the f^round, 

 lb a; CO k-aJ the Water through the natural liOllows 

 of die groupiu, whereby the great expence of digging 

 is faveJ : and by contriving to make the head in fome 

 narrow pare of the ground, it may be done at a much 

 lef. expence, and will be better iecured, than wliere 

 the head is of ^reat extent; therefore it is better 



ci::vjr to fhorten the extent of the Water, or to carry 

 it tarthcr, according to the natural fituation of the 

 ground, than to terminate it where it may occafion 

 great expence-, and it is always obferved, that where 

 tlicro is the greateft expence in the making of thefe 

 large heads, the whole will appear lefs beautiful than 

 where na:ure is chiefly confulted; for nothing can be 

 more unfightly, than thofe extenfive heads which are 

 fometimes made to pieces of Water, which rife fix or 

 ciclit feet, and fometimes much more, above the 

 fudace of the ground, whereby the Water is hid 

 from the fight, to thofe perfcns who are fituated on 

 that fide of the head, and a large bank of earth Ihuts 

 np the view ; and fometimes thefe heads are fo fitu- 

 ated, as to appear in fight of the houfe, or from a 

 principal part of the ^gardens, which is a very great 



abfurdity. 



Since the tafte has been altered in the difpofition of 

 gardens, and that a more natural method has been 

 purfued by perfons of judgment, there have been 

 ^ eat improvements made in the diftribution of Wa- 

 ters, fo as to render it truly ornamental to the feats 

 . where they are placed ; but there are fome, who, by 

 pretending to imitate or copy from thefe works, have 

 erred as much in making fo many fhort unnatural 

 turns in ti:eir Water, as thofe before-mentioned have 

 done by their regular flrait fides ; for in what is ufu- 

 ally termed ferpentine rivers, nothing is more com- 

 mon than to fee a fmall furface of Water twifted in 

 fo many fliort turns, as that many of them appear at 

 one view; and thefe windings are often made like 

 • parts of circles, with fuch an air of ftifiriefs, as to 

 , render them equally difagreeablc with any the m6ft 

 . Itudied figures, to perfons of good tafte. Another 

 .: thing is alfo common to thefe unnatural pieces of 

 Water, which is, their being made of the fame width 

 in every p^rt, whi<;h Ihould always be avoided ;''for 

 jiothing IS more beautiful, than to fee the Water ex- 

 tend to a large furface in fome places, and to have 

 it in others more contrafted ; and this may be gene- 



fign 



r ufe 



c 



to 



\ for nothing can be more ridiculous than that of 

 having either ponds or rivers defigned, where they 

 cannot be fupplied with Waiter in the dry feafons, 

 when there is the greateH want of it, both fo 

 and pleafure. 



In thofe places where there is a great fearcity of Wa- 

 ter, there Ihould be large refcrvoirs contrived, into 

 which the Water which defcends from the hills and 

 rifing grounds may be led ; fo that a large body of 

 Water may be collefted during the rainy fcafon, for 

 a fupply in time of drought ; thefe refcrvoirs, when 

 large, may contain as much Water as may be necelTa- 

 ry for the ufe of the houfe and gardens; but thefe 

 can rarely fupply Water enough for beauty, therefore 

 in fuch fituations it fiiould not be attempted. 

 As Water never appears fo well as when it is fituated 

 near woods, fo in the contrivance of rivers, or pieces 

 of Water, they fhould be fo placed as to have plant- 

 ing near, that the contrail between the wood and 

 Water may appear as perfect as poffible ; and in fome 

 places where the Water can be ken through the 

 open , groves, between the ftems of large trees, it 

 will add greatly to the beauty of the place ; but 

 where the Water is defigned to terminate, the head 

 fhould be as much concealed as poffible, by clofe 

 plantations of evergreen trees, which - may be faced 

 with Alders and Weeping Willows, planted clofe on 



Wate 



W 



through thefe trees 



with a gentle windinor 



g. It may 

 feem to run much farther, and to communicate with 

 a larger body of Water at a diftance j in the con- 

 triving of which, the greateft art is to make it ap- 

 pear as natural as poflible ; for the lefs art there ap- 

 pears in thefe things, the longer they willpleafe, and 



the more they will be efteemed by perfons of good 

 judgment. 



WATSONIA. . 



The title of this genus is given to it in honour of my 

 learned friend Dr. William Watfon, F. R. S. whofe 

 knowledge in the fcience of botany juftly demands 

 this tribute. .. ^ .,.^.. 



.r^ -*--"#. 



The Characters are, 

 ^be flower hatb a permanent fpatha {or Jh 



which 



- petal. 



aln^oji to the bottom ; it is of one 



curvedy and fwells at 

 Jix ohtufe fegments 



rally done at a much lefs expence than the other, \- which fprecid open. It has three long flender ft 



kf 



. ■ 



V I 



where the natural fite of the ground is well confidered, 

 which Ihould be done with the utmoft care, before 

 any work of this fort is begun, for want of which 

 many peVfons have repented after having been at great 

 expence.., . _.., ,. ^' ' 



There is alfo another material thing to be obferved, 

 In the fituation of larse pieces of Water* which is. 



-■ f 



terminated hy profit ate oblong funtmijs^ and a rGundiJh 



d germen, fupporting a flender ftyle a little 

 he fiaminay crowned by three bffldftigmas. 

 ifterward turns to a roundijh three-cornered 

 rp- three cellsy opening with three ijohies. each 



four roundijh feeds 



zpfule 



_ ■ This genus belongs to the firft fection of Linnaeus*s 

 never to extend them fo near to the houfe, as that I third clafs, the flower having three male and one fe- 



-theymay annoy it, by the damp, which the vapours 



Water 



when expofed to the wind, which will drive the va- 

 pours toward' the houfe, and thereby render the ha- 

 bitation unhealthy, and deftroy the furniture ; there- 

 fore it is much better to walk out to fee the Water. 



male part. It differs from the Gladiolus, in having 

 a tubulous flower of one petal, and froin Crinum, in 

 having biit three ftamina. 



Meriana flore ru- 

 bello, before he had been acquainted with the name 

 : which I had applied to it •, but he has fince informed 



than to facrifice the habitation for the pleafure of fee- I : me by a letter, that' as I had raifed the plant from 



^ ^ ^11 r_ /I ,, , ,,^ feeds, he would fupprefs his title," and adopt mine. 



^ ..-^ .\y"ater from the houfe : nor fhould the Water 



be fo fituated, as that the furface may be level with { .'who bethought had the moft right to give it; and that 

 the floor of the houfe, for there is generally fome K' he rather chufes to do fo, becaufe the figure he has 

 moifture, which will percolate through the veins of the I . publiftied of it was drawn from the plant in the Chel- . 

 earth, enough to occafion fo much damp, as to render 

 :; the lower part of the houfe unwholefome ; and where 



^ = there is a confiderable damp in the foundation of a 

 houfe, part of it will afcend upward, and render the 

 apartments fo, therefore great care fliould be had as 

 to this. . ' 



fea Garden. 



- ■* - 



The Species are. 



I. Watsonia {Mi 

 fubsequalibus. 



floribus infunidibuliformibuj- 



whofe 



Watfonia with 

 aual Meriana 



funnel-fhaped fli 



Meriana with red fit 



■Where perfons are not fo happily fituated as to 2. Watsonia iUumili 



. I 



... ^r ^ Water, 



but yet frorri fome neighbouring refcrvoirs or ponds 



can be Tupplied with it, there may be fome agree- 

 able pieces of Water contrived, both for ufe and 

 beauty, efpecially "wHere. there is a larae fupply ; 



for otherwife it will be better to^'contraf^ the de- 



t- 



Jl< 



Dwarf fFatfoniay with fword-fh. 



Thefe plants are natives in the country about the Cape 

 of Good Hope. The root of the firft fort is bulbous, 

 compreflfed, and fhaped like a kidney, and is cover- 

 ed with a fibrous brown Ikin. The leaves are fword- 



lli^ed. 



-- a--'. 



--% 





^ . 



