5 THE BOOK OF GARDENING. , 



such a plan does not exist, one must be made before any other 

 work, can proceed. The plan is taken off after the manner 

 adopted by surveyors. It is not proposed here to go into a 

 detailed description of this operation ; suffice it to say that, in 

 the ordinary way, a line is first staked which will serve as a 

 working-base. From this line the surface is measured out, trans- 

 forming it, according to requirements, into squares, trapeziums, 

 and triangles, and the results are taken note of, and drawn. The 

 situation and area of any existing buildings, the exact position of 

 the trees, &c, must all be noted. When this has been done, the 

 levels of the ground have to be similarly dealt with, sections 

 being taken of the principal parts of the area, both longi- 

 tudinally and transversely; well-defined figures of the lines followed 

 by the surface of the ground being thus obtained. 



The best position for the house, if it has to be erected, must 

 be fixed in relation to the point of the compass, the outlook, 

 the natural shelter, the surrounding views, and the height of the 

 situation. The conveniences of communication with the neigh- 

 bourhood, the form and the nature of the soil, and the sites 

 of the various buildings which it is intended to erect, have all 

 to be determined. The natural advantages of the situation, 

 which will facilitate the creation of picturesque effects, will have 

 to be well studied, as well as the best methods of remedying 

 any defects. The result of the observation on all these points 

 must be well noted. 



Tracing. — The necessary appliances required for tracing the 

 design of the future garden or park are an optical square, a 

 chain, a rule, a garden line, and some sticks and pegs. With 

 the pegs will be marked the positions of the buildings, trees, 

 &c, the outlines of the alleys, water, and beds, and the heights 

 of the levels of the earthwork to be thrown up. Two different 

 kinds of pegs will be required: (i) Long poles, to indicate the 

 positions of the buildings to be erected; (2) Pegs 2ft. long, i^in. 

 to 2in. square, thick, and pointed at one end, for marking the out- 

 lines. The sticks should be as straight as possible, 3ft. to 4ft. long, 

 with a slight slit in the centre of the top. In this should be 

 inserted pieces of white paper ; these are used for tracing the lines 

 of sight and are the bases to work upon in the general tracing. 



The outlines of the house have first to be traced as exactly as 

 possible, the situation of the principal rooms being marked, as 

 according to their disposition the lines of view will have to be 

 arranged. The greatest number of lines of view will be con- 



