ON LANDSCAPE GARDENING. 1 7 



to the horizontal plane. The principal point of the tracing, 

 and especially the lines of operations, will have to be fixed 

 by stretching garden lines well tightened in a horizontal direc- 

 tion, while with the plumb the exact places for the pegs are 

 indicated. The pegs or poles used must be of such a length 

 that a part may be left in sight till all the work is done, even 

 if the other part should be hidden by the filled ground. 



Level. — When the tracing has been executed, the points of 

 level which will have to guide the formation of the earthwork, 

 have to be fixed. In the scheme of transformation, the levels 

 fixing the different gradients of altitude, and describing the 

 original lines followed by the surface of the ground — obtained 

 when taking-off" the plan of situation, and when making the study 

 of the ground — have been altered or rectified. When dealing with 

 the work of formation of the ground, some of the considerations 

 and rules which govern such alterations will be discussed. 



The principal points of level are fixed with the theodolite or 

 with the water-level, and the intermediate points with the 

 borning-rods. The last-named consist of three pieces of wood, 

 4ft. long and 2in. wide, with a strip of board placed exactly 

 at right angles across their tops. They are used in the following 

 manner : Given two points of level the operator, with the help 

 of two men, sets his rod on one point while a man holds his 

 upright on the other point. The second man holds his in the 

 line at the intermediate point. The operator then looks over 

 the top of the little board, and if he sees the top of the other 

 two in even line, the level is obtained ; while if he sees the 

 second higher or lower than the third, it has to be lowered or 

 raised accordingly. 



Where the soil has to be removed, a hole is made, and a peg 

 inserted at the bottom and sunk to the right level ; its top 

 may be painted red. If, however, soil has to be brought to that 

 place, that is if the level of that particular spot has to be 

 raised, the peg will' have to be painted on three sides only, the 

 fourth being utilised for marking the height of the future level 

 above the original soil. 



Approaches. — The ways of communication determine more 

 than anything else the style of a garden. The principal points 

 for consideration, in laying-out approaches, are not numerous, 

 but they are of the utmost importance. The communications 

 between the entrance from the public road and the house, and 

 between the latter and all other parts of the place, must be as 



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