92 PKACTICAL GARDENING. 



should be done in sucli uniform figures as to make up a pretty 

 whole. In marking tlie garden for gravel walks, the figure 

 must be so managed as that the gravel walks shall be of 

 equal width all through the figure ; whereas in grass borders, 

 which allow much more intermediate space, there is no need 

 of confining the portion between the beds in any way. In 

 fact, the portions to walk on may be of a particular figure, as 

 well as the beds themselves ; but there should, nevertheless, 

 be a complete uniformity throughout, because when the eye 

 rests on anything manifestly artificial, it should always be in 

 order and regularity. 



Geometrical Gardens. — It may, however, be said, that 

 pieces of ground generally selected out of the general land- 

 scape — that is to say, in a recess of some kind, or a nook of 

 the garden — are not always of a uniform figure ; and in such 

 case, the figure cannot be made uniform ; but where such is 

 the case, a square, or oblong, or circle, must be taken as large 

 as the ground will admit, to contain the figure, and the 

 remainder laid out independently, without spoiling the figure. 

 For instance, say the plot of ground is neither round, square, 

 nor any regular figure whatever, begin by making a positive 

 geometrical figure, as large as it will allow, and let the outer 

 path be made first ; all that is outside the path may be 

 planted with shrubs, or made into a rosary, mth dwarf plants 

 nearest the path, and all behind gradually rising ; or it may, 

 if there be much of it, be put into grass. The inner portion, 

 or figure, whether it be square, round, oblong, or triangle, is 

 then to be laid out. We confess that, to us, there is nothing 

 so eff'ective as a circle ; it admits of endless variety, and you 

 may form a hundred designs, if you only play with a pair of 

 compasses, as a boy does when he makes stars for his kite. 

 Set your compasses with a double line, so that they form the 

 path ; get some paper ruled with hnes to form squares of an 

 eighth of an inch, and set the double point of your compasses 

 to that width, and reckon this eighth of an inch either two 

 feet or three feet, whichever you intend your paths to be ; set 

 your compasses so that you take in the exact size you intend 

 the ground to be occupied ; first draw your circle, but as the 

 outer path is to be any width you please, make proper allow- 

 ance for it. Having made your circle, without altering your 

 compasses, stick the point on the outer line, and make the 

 double point commence at one side, and draw it over to the 



