SMALL COUNTRY VILLAS. 257 



house, or some object within the boundaries of the residence ; snch as conceal 

 objects which it is not desirable to see either within the boundaries or beyond 

 them ; and such as produce shade, say for a seat or walk, during the heat of 

 summer. The condemned trees and shrubs having been rooted out, the 

 ground should be thoroughly trenched to the depth of 3 or 4 feet, and mixed 

 with manure; the drains, walks, walls, and all the buildings, being attended 

 to, and put in i-epair, according to the mode suggested in p. 150., &c. If the 

 ground be trenched 3 or 4 feet deep, it should remain at least six months 

 before it is planted, in order that it may be consolidated by rains. For this 

 reason, the best time for deep trenching is early in autumn, in order that the 

 rains of that season may equalise the sinking of the soil. In many, and per- 

 haps in most, cases of renovating a villa garden, the situation of some 

 of the main features, such as the flower-garden, the kitchen-garden, the con- 

 servatory, some of the ornamental structures, &c., will require to be changed ; 

 and this is another argimient in favour of the rooting out of the greater num- 

 ber of the trees and shrubs. It may also be thought advisable to make some 

 undulations or other inequalities on the surface of the lawn ; or to enlarge 

 the aj)parent extent of the place, by carrying some of the walks under others 

 in tunnels, or over them on bridges ; and this cannot be done without the 

 removal of all the trees and shrubs in such situations. In changing the situ- 

 ation of the kitchen-garden, regard must be had to a proper communication 

 between it and the stable-yard, for dung ; because, if the garden has been 

 properly placed at first, it will, in general, be immediately adjoining the stable- 

 court; and, consequently, if its situation be changed, it can only be to some 

 spot more or less distant from it, which will hence be more or less inconvenient. 

 350. Where the occupier only contemplates a temporary residetice, it will 

 probably be advisable to give only a temporary repair ; and, when this hap- 

 pens, thinning and priming applied to the trees and shrubs, and washing over 

 with cement to the walls and out- buildings, will be the leading points of 

 renovation. The lawn, in such places, will generally be more or less worn 

 out, and particularly on those spots which have been covered with the trees 

 or bushes removed. The whole of the lawn ought to have the coarser weeds, 

 such as dandelion, &c., removed, and the inequalities levelled with soil of 

 the same kind as that on which it is laid, in order that, when it is consoli- 

 dated, it may form a similar surface in point of textui-e ; after which, the 

 whole ought to have a top-dressing of rich compost; and all the places 

 not completely covered with grass ought to be sown thickly with the following 

 mixture : — /^grostis vulgaris var. tenuifoiia, Festuca duriuscula, F. ovina, 

 Cynosurus cristatus, Poa pratensis, y/vena flavescens, and Z'rifolium minus. 

 These seeds should be mixed together in equal portions, and sown at the rate 

 of from 4 to 6 bushels per acre. The gravel walks, instead of being taken up 

 and relaid entirely with fresh gravel, may be stirred, and a thin layer of gravel 

 laid on the top, and afterwards firmly rolled. Where the gravel is loose, it 

 ought to be mixed with gravel of an adhesive nature, newly taken from the 

 pit; or, if this cannot be procured, with Roman cement in a state of powder. 

 The proportion of cement should be very small ; not more than at the rate of 

 half a pint of cement to one bushel of gravel. The gravel and cement ought 

 to be intimately and rapidly mixed before laying them on the walk, and 

 heavily rolled as soon after as possible. Where a yellow ferruginous clay can 

 be procured, and where it is taken fresh from the pit, and instantly mixed 



