UPPER SURFACES OF TERRACES. 



43 



shrubs. These banks of low evergreens are more suited 

 for southern slopes than grass is^, as they are more per- 

 manently evergreen^ and_, from their greater intricacy^ 

 have more variety of light and shade than a closely-mown 

 surface of grass can have. 



Stairs on Terraces.- — Flights of steps form an excel- 

 lent means of decorating terraces. When connected 

 with walls^ they are susceptible of a considerable degree 

 of ornament. Stairs on grass slopes afford less scope for 

 decoration j vases placed on their sides may be deemed 

 the most proper objects for this purpose. Stairs should 

 be placed at the ends of terraces, as well as at their 

 centres ; they may be omitted in the latter position, but 

 if they are only found there, they have a sensible effect 

 in diminishing the appearance of length in the terraces 

 by dividing them into halves. Properly, stairs should 

 be in connection with walks, but they may sometimes be 

 introduced without the latter. In either case, when 

 there is more than one tier of terraces, the flights of 

 stairs should be successively carried fiom the top to the 

 bottom of the whole series. Anything short of this pro- 

 duces an uncomfortable feeling, as if some of the flights 

 of stairs had been misplaced through perversity, or lost 

 by mistake. 



Upper Surfaces of Terraces. — We shall suppose that 

 the architectural variety of terrace has been properly 

 constructed, with a good wall in front, and a broad 

 level above ; the latter should be traversed by two spa- 

 cious walks, — one near the house, and the other along 

 the wall. The intermediate space is to be occupied with 

 flower-beds cut out of grass, or placed in gravel with box 

 or stone edgings. Fountains, dials, vases, and other 

 architectm-al ornaments, may be introduced with excel- 



