ScJcell's Landscape-Gardening. 209 



How charming the gentle declivities appear when they slope 

 downwards to a winding stream ; how refreshing is the sight of 

 the flowery turf which clothes the sides of the valley ; how agree- 

 ably the silvery brook glides in innumerable windings in the 

 hollow, and how gratefully every violet that adorns its banks 

 bends to its invigorating power ! 



These lovely valleys are usually formed by excavations, which 

 take place in the following manner : - — 



In marking out valleys, it is advisable to drive in posts for the 

 various excavations of earth, so that the labourers may not dig- 

 out the earth at random, nor go too deep. 



Digging out the earth is usually performed across the valley, 

 by which means a continual section of the new concave line and 

 also of the old one is presented to the artist during the opera- 

 tion, by which he ascertains, as the excavation proceeds, whether 

 he is going too deep or too shallow, and whether his valley is 

 assuming a beautiful as well as a natural form. With the earth 

 gained from the middle of the valley the sides are raised, and 

 deep excavation rendered unnecessary. A valley dug two feet 

 deep in this manner, acquires a depth of about four feet in the 

 middle. 



In these excavations, the chance elevations and concavities, as 

 in the case of forming hills, should not be levelled, because na- 

 ture treats valleys as she does hills, and displays them under a 

 variety of forms. Hence a valley excavated in a regular circular 

 concave line would resemble no real natural valley ; therefore the 

 stakes which mark out the depth should be 40, 60, or 100 ft. 

 apart, that the excavation of the intermediate spaces may be per- 

 formed mostly by chance. 



10. In forming valleys, there are also cases where they are not 

 hollowed out ; for example, when it is feared that the ground 

 would be marshy, or that a harmonious whole would not be de- 

 veloped. In these cases, and spots of this description, the sides 

 of the valley must be formed by carting and raising the earth, 

 and the concave line thus preserved without excavations. 



At the termination of the sides of this valley where it ends, 

 the earth piled up in this way would be a deformity, and at the 

 same time betray its artificial origin; but the bounding line of 

 the valley may be changed outwards into a natural ridge or 

 green, which will flow imperceptibly into the line of the grounds, 

 or into any other beautiful natural form, or be concealed by 

 planting; as nature usually displays herself on the upper sides of 

 the banks, and surrounds them with a thicket or wood, from 

 which the valley bursts forth and descends. 



In the numerous grounds which I have had to superintend, I 

 have much more frequently made use of this method of proceed- 

 ing, and, I might almost say, with greater success than the former. 



3d Ser.— 1842. IV. p 



