3 1 8 LANDSCAPE-GARDENING 



be taken of fine views which would not be appre- 

 ciated when merely looking at a plat ; (c) the topog- 

 raphy itself will be better appreciated when seen 

 full size than when drawn to a scale which must 

 necessarily be small. 



(5) With the center lines of streets staked on the 

 land, these lines can be surveyed and shown accu- 

 rately on a plat. The plat should indicate the 

 curved lines by offsets from the sides of a polygon 

 whose angles and sides lie within the boundary lines 

 of the proposed streets. It is a great mistake to re- 

 quire that the curves shall be arcs of circles as in the 

 case of railroads. Often a good curve has been 

 spoiled by attempting to make it fit this require- 

 ment. 



(6) With streets definitely located, the next step 

 in the preparation of a plat is the subdivision of 

 the property into lots. If the land is vacant and 

 comparatively level and featureless, this work can 

 be done in an office, but if there are existing trees, 

 great variation of surfaces, rocky ledges or attractive 

 views, it is advisable actually to go on the land, select 

 a site for each house, putting in a stake at what would 

 be its approximate center, and then locate these 

 stakes and put them on the plat. This method will 



