Chapter XII 



Earthworks and Esplanades 



THERE is not much to be said about this 

 subject, except that such works should be 

 avoided as much as possible. The natural un- 

 evenness of the terrain is, as a rule, more pictur- 

 esque than inequalities painfully wrought out by 

 art. Artificial hills generally make little effect, 

 and should be made only where necessary in 

 order to obtain a view from their summits, to 

 give additional height to a plantation, or to 

 get rid of the earth dug from a lake. The direc- 

 tions given for islands may be substantially fol- 

 lowed here, since water has often contributed to 

 the shaping of the natural elevations, partly 

 rounding them or partly tearing them away. 

 The surfaces and sides should be alternated by 

 steep and more gradual lines without running 

 into confusion, and plantations should do the 

 rest. 



When fine old trees that you do not wish to 

 remove happen to stand on a spot to be filled 

 in, the custom in England is to surround them 

 with a kind of well constructed of stones, in 

 which air and moisture can penetrate to the 

 roots. With oaks, however, this is not necessary. 

 I have been surprised to find that old as well as 



