106 Landscape Gardening 



The intended water outline once fully traced and under- 

 stood, the workmen can now proceed to form the banks. 

 All this time the improver will keep in mind the supposed 

 appearance of the bank of a natural lake stripped of its 

 vegetation, etc., which will greatly assist him in his progress. 

 In some places the banks will rise but little from the water; 

 at others one or two feet, and at others perhaps three, four, 

 or six times as much. This they will do, not in the same 

 manner in all portions of the outline, sloping away with a 

 like gradual rise on both sides, for this would inevitably 

 produce tameness and monotony, but in an irregular and 

 varied manner; sometimes falling back gradually, some- 

 times starting up perpendicularly, and again overhanging 

 the bed of the lake itself. 



All this can be easily effected while the excavations of 

 those portions of the bed which require deepening are going 

 on. And the better portions of the soil obtained from the 

 latter, will serve to raise the banks when they are too low. 



It is of but little consequence how roughly and irregu- 

 larly the projections, elevations, etc., of the banks and out- 

 lines are at first made, so that some general form and 

 connection is preserved. The danger lies on the other side, 

 viz., in producing a whole too tame and insipid; for we 

 have found by experience, how difficult it is to make the 

 best workmen understand how to operate in any other 

 way than in regular curves and straight lines. Besides, 

 newly moved earth, by settling and the influence of rains, 

 etc., tends, for some time, towards greater evenness and 

 equality of surface. 



In arranging these outlines and banks, we should study 

 the effect at the points from which they will generally be 

 viewed. Some pieces of water in valleys, are looked down 

 upon from other and higher parts of the demesne; others 

 (and this is most generally the case) are only seen from the 

 adjoining walk, at some point or points where the latter 

 approaches the lake. They are most generally seen from 

 one, and seldom from more than two sides. When a lake 

 is viewed from above, its contour should be studied as a 



