THE LAWS OF DEVELOPING LANDSCAPE. 



609 



ground-line, mid-distance, and sky-line, are the leading principles. The 

 possession being given by placing the sites according to limits of sight, 

 of course the contour of 90 degrees must also be observed. 



Contour and profile are always combined in every natural picture, and 

 in the contour plans already given much profile is shown. Fig. 172 

 shows how contour helps profile by low-growing vegetation merged pro- 

 perly into higher forms. 



Nature is ever one. Trees unite to ground-lines, and flowers and 

 trees and shrubs to everything — the lines of ground, mid-distance, and 

 sky-lines— and they live so unitedly together, when properly arranged, that 

 one cannot tell where one commences or where the other ends. 



Roads. 



Man is ever working, as action is a part of his life, and he is ever 

 labouring to build up or destroy something. 



How to build good roads is generally known to be of permanent use 

 for the travel of our day. They require to be 18 inches deep, of what is 

 called macadam on Telford foundation. When properly made and cared 

 for, they will last for ages, especially if properly laid off. Particulars of 

 formation will be supplied by any good engineer in the district in which 

 the roads are required. 



To arrange properly is to put the roads in the right place, uniting 

 opposites and developing the character of silent life to the roads as the 

 foregrounds to scenery in general. 



The routes often require much judgment, going to and fro, the objects 

 opening from buildings to public roads, beauties, and the general land 

 objects. These roadways should assimilate or go with the contours of the 

 land, only cutting and embanking the earth where absolutely necessary to 

 the required objects, and then the cutting or embankment, as the case 

 may be, should be made to assimilate in curvature to the contour and the 

 characteristics of the land pictures. 



A road should never be made for itself. It is made for the objects of 

 tho ground. It is not necessary for a road to go the shortest way, but it 

 should be made impossible to go a shorter, way, so it should always take 

 the shortest route possible to its object, while fulfilling the wants of the 

 domain. One that is made for several objects, of course, will be longer 

 in general than one which unites but two or three objects. Thus a 

 properly laid road never impresses one uncomfortably, for every curve has 

 an object. 



We require simple pathways of a few feet in width for walking, or 

 paths for our horses or cattle. We require our roads to provide large con- 

 courses where many carriages &c. can meet together, for us to develop 

 our ideas or exchange the world's produce. We require big roads as bases 

 to our large buildings, whereon the inhabitants can walk and converse 

 together on natural formations or magnificent terraces, according to the 

 requirements of the bulding. 



Roads in general are very properly made with parallel sides, but 

 sometimes these lines may be varied for the purpose of providing seats, 

 statues, fountains, &c, and other objects to relieve any possible monotony. 



