210 THE" FLOWER-GARDEN. [CHAP. vni. 



Very dark flowers which are almost black 

 may, like white flowers, be introduced any- 

 where. 



The forms of the- beds and the colour of the 

 flowers having been decided on, the next step 

 is to mark the beds on the ground, and this is 

 done in several different ways. One is by co- 

 vering the paper containing the pattern with 

 squares, and then forming much larger squares 

 with packthread over the ground ; that part of 

 the outline of the figure contained in each of 

 the small squares is then to be transferred to 

 the corresponding large square, by tracing it 

 on the ground with the point of a stick. When 

 the pattern is regular, it is sometimes marked 

 on the ground by stretching a garden line from 

 one point to another by means of pegs. When 

 this line is so arranged as to form the proper 

 figure, it is chalked, and made to thrill between 

 the pegs, so as to transfer the chalk in the pro- 

 per lines to the ground. When circles are to 

 be traced, it is done by first fixing a stake in 

 the centre, and then forming a loop at the end 

 of a cord, and putting it over the stake. One 

 end of the cord being thus fastened to the stake, 

 the other end should be stretched out to the 

 extremity of the radius, or half-diameter of the 

 circle, and a short pointed stick should be tied 

 to it, with which the circle may be traced all 

 round. An oval is made by tracing two circles, 

 the outer edge of one of which just touches the 

 centre of the other ; a short line is then drawn 

 at the top, and another at the bottom, and this, 

 when the central lines are obliterated, forms the 

 oval. Many other ways will suggest them- 



