Drainage and Surplus Water 15 



perfectly met. It is possible, too, that with deep sub- 

 soils of sand, gravel or chalk, the operator will be able 

 to ignore all idea of artificial drainage, or it may be 

 that even the sharpest bank slope may have water 

 oozing from it during six months of the year. The 

 only effective way of dealing with all such would be 

 to cut trenches in the bank to connect below the main 

 pathways, and these latter and bank trenches filled 

 with clinker, brick-bat or any waste stone would suffice 

 for all purposes (Fig. 4). A much more serious condi- 

 tion of affairs is set where the staple soil is clayey 

 loam, the subsoil being of the retentive or water-hold- 

 ing type. Here it will be necessary — if a successful 

 rock garden is to be established — to effectually and 

 systematically drain the entire foundation or base 

 before laying a single stone. In such a case the cost 

 of providing a few dozen loads of chalk or other suit- 

 able material would be small compared with that of 

 excavating, discarding in part the soil, and supplying 

 fresh, since, in such circumstances, every inch of soil 

 would require special treatment also. It is, however, 

 within the bounds of possibility that any excess of 

 water could be conducted to some central or extreme 

 position there to constitute the supply for bog-loving 

 plants. At Friar Park both drainage and stability are 

 secured to the whole by thousands of tons of rock 

 raised above a bed of natural chalk, and by thousands 

 of deep fissures — albeit, rock and soil charged — run- 

 ning in all directions. In the clay-bound area, and by 

 discarding the great bulk of the soil, it would not be 

 difficult to emulate the Friar Park conditions, were it 

 possible also in conjunction therewith to emulate the 

 patience, perseverance and enthusiasm demonstrated 

 by the great work itself. Thus it will be seen that 

 even in the all-important matter of xirainage there are 

 circumstances and conditions requiring no elaborate 

 precautions, while others necessitate the closest scru- 

 tiny and care. Hence, in this as in all else, the coat 

 must be cut according to the cloth. 



