PREPARATION OF THE LAND. 29 



covering over any places that may have been deeply filled 

 in with poor material. Whenever fills are to be made of 

 considerable depth, as the foundation of the drives and 

 walks, basins and valleys, the surface-soil, if it is needed or 

 can be utilized, should be first shovelled or scraped to one 

 side and then be graded over such coarse material as may 

 be used for this filling. 



The surface should slope away in all directions from the 

 house, so that there shall be no surface-water standing at 

 any time during the year within several yards of it, and in 

 no place on the lawn should there be basins where the water 

 shall stand for any length of time after heavy showers, or 

 during heavy rains or melting snows in the winter and 

 spring. In the latter case, especially if ice is formed upon 

 the lawn, the grass will often be smothered (winter-killed) 

 or drowned out, so that much labor will be required to 

 reseed and bring it into good condition again. Thorough 

 and deep underdraining will in a measure overcome this 

 difficulty, but when the ground is frozen water will stand 

 on the surface, the grass will be killed out, and a growth 

 of wild grasses and weeds often come in that it is almost 

 impossible to eradicate. 



The preliminary grading should be done as soon after the 

 completion of the house as possible, that the land may 

 become perfectly settled before sowing the grass-seed or 

 setting the trees and shrubs. 



Obtaining the Grade. 



To obtain the desired smooth grade, flowing outline, and 

 curve of surface, where the services of the skilled civil 

 engineer is not available, various expedients are resorted to. 



