Chap. III. of Gardening. 125* 



well I whereas^ if the Earth be loofe and gravelly^ nine 

 Inches to a Foot is theleaft you can give it, 



A s to Terrafs -Walls, you ihould, before you build them^^ 

 confult the natural Bottom of the Soil ; for the Mafonry 

 fliould be fet upon firm Ground, and a good Earth. In 

 Ground that is fandy, loofe, and boggy, they make ufe of 

 Gratings of Timber-Work, Flooring-Pieces, Plates, and 

 Piles, upon which they fecure the Foundations- of the 

 Walls. 



The Diminution and Battering of Walls, fhould be in 

 proportion to their Height, becaufe of the Thruft of the 

 Ground. For very high Wails, you may make them batter 

 a fiMi-Qr fixth Part of their Height, that is to fiy, two Inches 

 in a F0ot ^ for Walls from 12 to 1-5, Foot high- a Ninth 

 Pai^t; and from 15 to 20 Foot high, aa Eighth Part i for 

 low^ Walls of fix or feven Foot high, a Twelfth Part j and 

 fo of others : Their Thicknefs alfo fliould bear, proportion 

 to their Height, and the Nature of the Ground. 



To come now to Stairs ^ You fliould always place them 

 as advantageoufly as poffible, as. at the lower End of the Walk 

 of a Parterre, or facing fome of the principal Lines, and 

 never in Obfcure and By-places. They are ordinarily bulk 

 with Steps of Mafonry, but may be made of Grafs, which, 

 when well kept, are very agjrecable to. the Sight^. and thefg 

 the French call Efiradey. * Eftrade 



You ihould obferve to make your Stairs of very eafy comes from the 

 Afcent, and the Steps as few as poffible : Their Number 1^^^%%^' 

 ihould be unequal, and fliould never exceed 11 or 13 in 'tis 'properly^ 

 a Flight, vvdthout a Half-Pace, or Reft of two Paces broad 

 and as long as:the Going of the Stairs. Each Step may have X^B^dTs/ef 

 1 5 or 16 Inches. Tread, to five or fix Inches Rife, or Height, ^^^^ AUove, 

 including a quarter^ of anInch Fall, which each Step ought Ztre^^'T 

 to have for carrying off the Water, that other wife would panwemsj and 

 rot the Joints, where one Step is fet upon the other. sofaT*'' 



Gentle Afcents without Steps, fliould be taken as. far s^ellvl 

 as conveniently may be, to avoid too great a Steepnefsi, -^^^^^^orjiaUs 

 they are generally fupported by Terrafs-Walls, or Slopes ^^'^^^^'^'^ 

 of Turf; and to hinder the Torrents of Wet from fpoihng 



