CHAP. IT. 



THE LAYING OUT OF A GARDEN. 



23 



along each side of them by channels, also a little above the 

 level of the border. Where paths intersect, the water is carried 

 underneath the paths by nuls or earthen pipes. In these 

 water-channels the shrubs and fruit-trees are always planted, as 

 shown in section in the cut below. 



Fig. 1. 



A more suitable material being not often available, the paths 

 and the embankments of the channels are made of common 

 garden soil, well beaten down by wooden rammers. These, 

 after the heavy rains in August and September, become always 

 so much damaged and broken up as to require to be re-made at 

 the commencement of each cold season. And here I have to 

 call attention to a point of very great importance. 



I have found it the almost invariable custom to make the 

 pathways just about a quarter of the width that for convenience 

 they ought to be : in consequence of which the fruit-trees, 

 when arrived at but even a moderate size, overgrow the path- 

 ways so entirely as to render them impassable. To remedy this 

 the boughs are usually lopped away, but of course to the very 

 serious injury of the trees. This mistake of making the paths 

 too narrow should be guarded against when the garden is first 

 laid out. The eye is, at that time, very apt to be deceived, and 

 paths made then as broad as required to be afterwards, will 

 seem to most persons perhaps extravagantly and unnecessarily 

 broad. The growth, however, of the trees on each side will in 

 two or three years' time show the paths obviously to be of no 

 greater width than they ought to be. 



In a garden large enough to admit of it, it is highly desirable 

 that there should be one wide shady path, where persons in 



