Hints on Steps and Tennis-Courts 



mended. For the benefit of those who by force or 

 choice do it themselves, the following advice will prove 

 serviceable : 



The first thing to do is to level the ground. Broadly 

 speaking, 120 feet by 60 feet is the area required, 

 although there will be a tendency to restrict the width 

 somewhat in small gardens, and often they are made 

 50 feet wide, or even less. Let us assume we have a 

 plot of ground 120 feet by 60 feet to level for tennis. 

 What is the most economical method of doing it ? The 

 first thing is to find the mean level, so that the higher 

 portions may be excavated just sufficiently deep to 

 provide the earth to raise the lower end to the required 

 height without having to bring in or cart away any 

 earth. The amateur can easily determine this by the 

 following method : Procure a straight-edge, a spirit- 

 level, and a number of pegs. Start from one of the 

 higher corners of the plot and drive in a peg to the 

 ground level. Work diagonally across the plot, and 

 drive in another peg 10 feet from the first, using the 

 straight-edge as illustrated. Drive the second peg 

 until the bubble of the spirit-level remains central. 

 Then proceed to drive in a third peg 10 feet farther on, 

 and repeat the procedure. It will easily be seen that 

 when the bottom corner is reached the total fall diagon- 

 ally across the plot will be just as much as the top of 

 the last peg is above the ground in the case of the 

 plot illustrated, 6 feet. Divide this height by two, and 

 we get a mean level of 3 feet. This means that we 

 shall have to excavate 3 feet at the top, and place the 

 earth at the bottom to raise it 3 feet. Now drive in a 

 peg at the bottom corner to the mean level that is, 



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