DRY WALLING 93 



but perhaps the chief use of the system is to be 

 found in the construction of retaining walls in 

 gardens, in the facing of terraces, or other work 

 of a kindred nature. For all such purposes, ordi- 

 nary brick or stone and mortar building has, of 

 course, always been in fashion ; but the less formal, 

 and at the same time less costly, use of unset 

 and roughly squared stone has only of late come 

 extensively into garden practice. The usual de- 

 vice, for example, where a garden lies on a slope 

 more or less steep, is commonly to make, wherever 

 the outline of the ground seems to require it, a 

 rampart of grass ; but grass banks are always 

 troublesome to mow and keep in order, besides in 

 themselves being somewhat poor and unmeaning. 



Building of any kind, rough or otherwise, is 

 expensive work; but where stone is easily to be 

 procured and other disabilities do not stand in 

 the way, there is no doubt that dry-walling for 

 the facing of terrace banks and for steps leading 

 from level to level, and many like purposes, is 

 one of the most delightful and effective methods 

 under certain circumstances of dealing, not only 

 with garden schemes on a grand scale, but also 

 with restricted space ; for it practically doubles the 

 available planting surface, while it gives dignity 

 to the whole plan which can scarcely be attained 

 in any better way. 



There are details in regard to dry-walling which 

 cannot be minutely entered into here ; for the object 

 of the present volume is not so much to be tech- 

 nical as suggestive. The main idea, however, is 

 simple enough, and can be set down in few words. 



