224 THE VILLA GARnKNER. 



tlie laying out of the kitchen-garden, may be executed by contract, by 

 a respectable nurseryman. In general, however, whether in small or large 

 places, the work will be more carefully done, and not at much more expense, 

 by employing a first-rate head gardener, who is to be continued afterwards, 

 to manage the garden ; and allowing him to execute the work, partly by let- 

 ting it out in small jobs, and partly by daywork. Trenching, digging drains, 

 excavating for roads or walks, and even smoothing and levelling, may all be 

 done by the job ; and, wherever work can be thus executed, it is by far the 

 cheapest and best mode for the proprietor, and the most agreeable to the 

 workmen. Much, however, in this case, depends on the knowledge and 

 experience of the head gardener in letting out the work ; and his attention in 

 seeing it properly executed. 



324. Whether the buildings or the plantations ought to be commenced first, 

 is a question which admits of being variously answered, according to circum- 

 stances. Where the place is extensive, and much planting, wholly detached 

 from buildings, is required, all the plantations may be commenced two or 

 three years before the buildings ; but, in the case of a place like that before 

 us, where the principal part of the planting is connected with the house and 

 offices, or the kitchen-garden, or borders the approach road, all the buildings 

 ought to be completed, at least exteriorly, before even the ground is levelled 

 or trenched for planting : even the cartage of materials to the house along 

 the approach road will endanger young trees bordering on it; and, therefore, 

 it is much better not to plant them till the road is made. 



325. The first actual step in executing the buildings, more particularly the 

 house and offices, is to erect a temporary shed for the use of the carpenter and 

 other workmen, both as a place for working in, and to enable them to lock up 

 their tools, &c. ; the next is to mark out the foundations, and to have them 

 excavated ; and the third, which ought to go on at the same time as the first 

 and second, is the procuring and laying down materials. It may be worthy 

 of notice, that the first and the last workman connected with erecting any 

 building is the carpenter. He is required to construct skeleton squares or 

 triangles, before the ground is broken for the foundations, or a single brick 

 or stone can be laid, in order that the angles of the foundations may be truly 

 correct ; and, as the building proceeds, he is employed in preparing and 

 placing the flooring, roofing, doors, windows, and interior fittings, to the last 

 step in joinery, viz., that of putting the finger-plates on the doors, after the 

 painting and papering have been finished. Hence it is that carpenters 

 (including under this term joiners) know more about the detail of executing 

 buildings than any other person connected with them, not even excepting the 

 architect ; and hence, also, the carpenter, other circumstances being the same, 

 will invariably be found the most intelligent mechanic on an estate, as con- 

 nected with construction ; as the gardener will generally be found the most 

 intelligent, as connected with cultivation. If the proprietor of a country 

 residence, therefore, find himself reduced so as to be only able to keep two 

 men to look after it, these two should be the carpenter and the gardener. 

 Remarks of this kind may, perhaps, be considered by some out of place ; 

 but, this book being intended for those who have little or no previous know- 

 ledge of the subjects of which it treats, we think them likely to be useful ; 

 and it is consistent with our plan to introduce them incidentally rather than 

 systematically. 



