CHAPTER III 

 PREPARATION OF THE LAND 



IN the preceding chapters the requirements of the house 

 and other conditions have been discussed in a general way, 

 and it now becomes necessary for us to take up in detail 

 the preparation of the soil for the growth of the various 

 kinds of trees, shrubs, and plants used for the outside 

 ornamentation of the home. 



Before any decoration of the grounds can be begun the 

 house must have been finished and the debris removed from 

 the land. It must be fully understood that upon few, if 

 any, places can there be found all of the varieties of soils 

 necessary for the growth of all of the ornamental material 

 that it may be desirable to grow, and often it will be neces- 

 sary to procure from outside sources such materials as are 

 needed to improve it. In many cases, however, we find the 

 soil well adpated, with slight additions, to the growth of 

 all the kinds of trees, shrubs, and plants that it is desirable 

 to grow, in which case the cost of preparation is much 

 reduced. 



Preliminary Grading 



When the excavation is made for the cellar, the surface- 

 soil should be scraped to one side and the subsoil to another, 

 that the former may be used to make the surface-covering 

 over any places that may have been deeply filled in with 

 poor material. Whenever fills are to be made of consider- 

 able depth, as the foundation of the drives and walks, 



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