BAS 



n A s 



Janger of its holding wstcr naturaUv, or hv a 

 moduralc thickness ot clay being added. 



When clav cannot be easily procured for the 

 purpose, chalk is sometimes made use of in 

 countries where it abound>, being first formed 

 into a powder, and then wrought up into a sort 

 of mortar, and applied over the bottom and 

 sides, beating and ramming it hard as it- is laid 

 on. 



And instead of clay, the bottom and sides are 

 sometimes formed a foot thick with brick, or 

 small stones laid in terrass, and plastered over 

 with two or three inches thickness of cement, 

 composed of two-thirds of powdered tiles to one 

 of lime, w hich is beaten well, with as little water 

 aspossiI)le, into a strong mortar. This is how- 

 ever an expensive method. 



The depth of basons, or ornamental pieces 

 of water, need not in general be more than 

 three, four, or five fett at most, even where a 

 boat is intended, or fish to be kept for breeding. 



In ft)rming the sides of the cavities or basons, 

 they should have a gradual slope from the top of 

 the circumference to the ctutre of the intended 

 depth. And when the coat of clay has been 

 applied, a few inches in thickness of gravel should 

 be laid over it in order to preserve it, and render 

 the water more clear : the surface of the sur- 

 rounding ground should then be laid w ith turf, 

 from the edge of the v, ater to a suitable distance 

 each ^\ ay. 



The raising of high banks or stiff" slopes, as 

 boundaries to^basons of this sort, should always 

 be avoided as much as possible ; and where the 

 water will admit, the ground should be sloped off 

 fTadually firom somelli .nance on the sides to the 

 intended surface of water, so as that the super- 

 ficies of the circumference, or rim, may corre- 

 spond more perfectly w ith the general surface of 

 the surroundins urouud, and be more easy and 

 natural ; the wliole suriace of tlie water appear- 

 ing as conspicuous as possible at a distance, 

 bcin<'' so managed as always to seem nearly as 

 hisli^ as the superficies of tlie margin of the 

 reservoirs. 



In staking out the dimensions of the basons, 

 where full coats of clay arcnecessary, it is requi- 

 site to set them out three feet and a half, or 

 more, according to circumstances, wider than 

 their intended widths, to allow for the suitable 

 thicknesses of clay being laid on the sides, as 

 well as for the gravel onxt the clay : they should 

 also have depths in the same proportions. 



Particular care should be taken to :"ake the 

 bupcrficies of the circumference perfectly level, 

 that the water may appear regular every way at 

 tl-.e margin. 



In digging out the cavities of the basons, the 



best method is to begin towards llie middle, and 

 excavate the earth To the intended depth ; thetj 

 to work olV the sides regularly with a moderate 

 slope from the edge of the circumference to the 

 bottoms of the rcsen-oirs. 



When tlir cavities of the l)asons have been 

 formed, they should be well rammed and 

 smoothed : then the clay brought in, which 

 shoidd have been previously well wrouglUover 

 and trodden. Then begin by laying the bottom 

 in th,i middle, being careful that no extraneous 

 matters be mixed with the clay to occasion 

 cracks or fissures, spreading it rcoidarly, a lit- 

 tle at a time, and treading it well w ith the naked 

 feet, watering it frequently during the process, 

 and ramming it also I'rom time to time with 

 woollen rainmcrs, every part being well kneaded 

 that they may be perfectly compact and secure. 

 During the operation, if the weather be dry, the 

 clay should be covered, as it is laid, with mat.« 

 or moist litter, or with the intended stratum of 

 gravel, in order to prevent it from cracking, 

 continuing the claying regularly each way from 

 the bottom, till the whole is covered ; the 

 water bcmg then admitted. The work is after- 

 wards to V)e completed bv turfing the sides and 

 slopes from the level of the water to such di- 

 stances as may be necessary for producing the 

 proper efl'ect. 



It is obvious that the forming of basons of 

 this nature must be more expensive when made 

 in such soils as are open and porous, than in 

 such as arc stiff and retentive, from the greater 

 trouble and labour in claying them. This point 

 should therefore be attended to before the work 

 is begun. 



The expense in digging out the excavations 

 may be estimated at from nine-pence to eigh- 

 teen-pencc the vard, according to the nature of 

 the soil and other circumstances. 



BASS, a sedsr\' substance drawn from bass- 

 mats, of w hich threads or sirinus are made that 

 are exlremelv useful in the culture of various 

 herbs and plants, as being the most cheap an<i 

 readv for the use of gardeners in tying them up. 



It is the best sort of bandage in grafting and 

 budding ; also for the tying up the stalks or 

 stems of most kinds of flowering pl.ints, the 

 leaves of ea-lv eabbagcs, lettuces, endive. See. 

 to whiten ami promote their heading ; also for 

 bunching up various sorts of pot- and other herbs, 

 as well as fur manv other u=e*. 



The l]ass for these purposes should be quite 

 fresh, and not taken from, such old mats, as 

 have been used in the garden : where there is 

 much tying, it is b;st to appropriate a mat or 

 • two '.iiiivelv to this pnri^ose, keeping them in 

 the dr\', ajU iiui «jrn**"i!r t''- Uass,"as is oiteii 

 Y .2 " 



