BAS 



■BA'S 



danger of its holding water naturally, or by a 

 moderate thickness of clay being added. 



When clay cannot be easily procured for the 

 purpose, chalk is sometimes made use of in 

 countries where it abounds, being first formed 

 into a powder, and then wrought up into a sort 

 of mortar, and applied over the bottom and 

 sides, beating and ramming it hard as it is laid 

 on. 



And instead of clay, the bottom and sides are 

 sometimes formed a foot thick with brick, or 

 small stones laid in terrass, and plastered over 

 with two or three inches thickness of cement, 

 composed of two-thirds of powdered tiles to one 

 of lime, which is beaten well, with as little water 

 38 possible, into a strong mortar. This is how- 

 ever an expensive method. 



The depth of basons, or ornamental pieces 

 of water, need not in general be more than 

 .three, four, or five feet at most, even where a 

 boat is intended, or fish to be kept for breeding. 



In forming the sides of the cavities or basons, 

 thev should have a gradual slope from the top of 

 the circumference to the centre of the intended 

 depth. And when the coat of clay has been 

 applied, a few inches in thickness of gravel should 

 .be laid over it in order to preserve ir, and render 

 the water more clear : the surface of the sur- 

 rounding ground should then be laid with turf, 

 from the edge of the water to a suitable distance 

 each way. 



The raising of high banks or stiff slopes, as 

 boundaries to basons of this sort, should always 

 be avoided as much as possible ; and where the 

 water w HI admit, the ground should be sloped off 

 gradually from some distance on the sides to the 

 intended surface of water, so as that the super- 

 ficies of the circumference, or rim, may corre- 

 spond more perfectly with the general surface of 

 the surrounding ground, and bit more easy and 

 natural ; the whole surface of the water appear- 

 ing as conspicuous as possible at a distance, 

 being so managed as always to seem nearly as 

 ■:i'_li as the superficies of the margin of the 

 reservoirs. 



In staking out the dimensions of the basons, 



where full coats of clay are necessary, it is rcqui- 



t them out three feet and a half, or 



ie "jr. ling to circumstances, wider than 



their intended widths, to allow for the suitable 



thicknesses of clay being laid on the sides, as 



well as for the gravel over the clay : they should 



pths in the same proportions. 



Particular care should be taken to I ke the 

 •«gVpi?N eies ofthecLrcuml ly level, 



v.ater may appear regular eve ai 



i irgin. 



ging out the cavities of the barons, the 



best method is to begin towards the middle, and 

 excavate the earth to the intended depth ; then 

 to work off the sides regularly with a moderate 

 slope from the edge of The circumference to the 

 bottoms of the reservoirs. 



When the cavities of the basons have been 

 formed, they should be well rammed and 

 smoothed : then the clay brought in, which 

 should have been previously weil wrought over 

 and trodden. Then begin by laying thc~bottom 

 in the middle, being' careful that no extraneous 

 matters be mixed with the clay to occasion 

 cracks or fissures, spreading it regularly, a lit- 

 tle at a time, and treading it well with the naked 

 feet, watering it frequently during the process, 

 and ramming it also from time to time with 

 wooden rammers, every part being well kneaded 

 that they may be perfectly compact and secure. 

 During the operation, if the weather be dry, the 

 clay should be covered, as it is laid, with matr, 

 or moist litter, or with the intended stratum of 

 gravel, in order to prevent it from cracking, 

 continuing the claying regularly each way from 

 the bottom, till the whole is covered; the 

 water being then admitted. The work is after- 

 wards to be completed by turfing the sides and 

 slopes from the level of the water to such di- 

 stances as may be necessary for producing the 

 proper effect. 



It is obvious that the forming of basons of 

 this nature must be more expensive when made 

 in such soils as are open and porous, than in 

 such as are stiff" and retentive, from the greater 

 trouble and labour in claying them. This point 

 should therefore be attended to before the work 

 is begun. 



The expense in digging out the excavations 

 may be estimated at from nine-pence to eigh- 

 teen-pence the yard, according to the nature of 

 the soii and other circumstances. 



BASS, a sedge substance drawn from bass- 

 mats, of which threads or strings arc made that 

 are extremely useful in the culture of various 

 herbs and plant-, as being the most cheap and 

 ready for the use of gardeners in tying them up. 



It is the best sort of bandage in grafting and 

 budding ; also for the tying up the 

 stems of most kinds of flowering p] 

 leaves of earl) cabbages, lettuces, endive, J&. 

 to whiten and promote their hea 

 bunchingup various -oris of pot-ahdotht 

 as we'll as tor many other usi . 



Th< Bass for these purposes should 

 fresh, and not taken from such old mats as 

 have been used in the garden : where there is 

 much tying, it-isl to ap] |j 

 two entirely to this purpose, I I 

 the drv, unci not drawing the B 

 Y % " 



