LAYING OUT GROUNDS. 29 



to walk upon: and when rounded, it should only be where they 

 are of great width, and then three inches of height in a segment 

 of fifteen feet will be found quite sufficient. Walks of six feet or 

 less in width, would be more pleasant if made with a flat surface, 

 having one side of the walk one inch only lower than the other : this 

 will not be observable, but yet will be sufficient to carry off the 

 water ; which, except in heavy rains, will sink into the adjoining 

 ground. Walks thus constructed will be, in every respect, more 

 satisfactory than those made upon the old system. 



One of the most pleasing ornaments to a villa is the flower- 

 garden ; it is calculated to encourage a taste for the beauties of 

 nature, and is one of the most rational, healthful, and agreeable of 

 pursuits. The encomium that Lord Bacon bestows upon a garden 

 is as lofty as it is just : he says, "It is the purest of human pleasures." 

 The situation of this delightful retreat should not be distant from 

 the house ; it should be of easy access, and so situated, that it may 

 be surrounded by a plantation, (see Plate 3,) for the purposes 

 of shelter and retirement : it may sometimes, with good effect, be 

 made to range with a conservatory attached to the residence, but 

 this must depend on the position of the villa, and the form of the 

 adjacent grounds ; it is an additional gratification to step from the 

 conservatory into the flower-garden. 



When the ground allotted for the flower-garden is of such extent 

 as to admit of some portion being grass and shrubs, an uneven sur- 



