Jan.] FLOWER GARDEN. 73 
A Foss, or ha-ha, is a sunk fence, ditch -like, five or six feet deep, 
and ten, twenty, or more wide; and is made in different ways ac- 
cording to the nature of the ground. One sort is formed with a 
nearly upright side next the pleasure ground five, six, or seven feet 
deep, faced with a wall of brick, or stone, or strong post and plank- 
ing, &c; the other side is made sloping outward gradually from the 
bottom of said wall, till it terminates as near a level as possible. 
Another kind of foss is formed with both sides sloping and in per- 
pendicular depth from four to five or six feet, having a fence near 
that height arranged along the bottom, formed of strong pailing, or 
any kind of palisado-work; the sides may be sloped gradually from 
the bottom to ten or twenty feet width, or more at top; but sloped 
more to the field side than to the other. 
It being absolutely necessary to have the whole of the pleasure- 
ground surrounded with a good fence of some kind, as a defence 
against cattle, Sec a foss being a kind of concealed fence, will an- 
swer that purpose where it can conveniently be made, without in- 
terrupting the view of such neighbouring parts as are beautified by 
art or nature, and at the same time affect an appearance that these 
are only a continuation of the pleasure-ground. Over the foss in 
various parts may be made Chinese and other curious and fanciful 
bridges, which will have a romantic and pleasing effect. 
Of Ancient Designs. 
Designs, in ancient gardening, for a Pleasure-ground, consulted 
uniformity in every part, exact levels, straight lines, parallels, 
squares, angles, circles, and other geometrical figures, Sec. all 
corresponding in the greatest regularity, to effect an exact symme- 
try and proportion. 
Straight walks were every where observed, and all arranged pa- 
rallel, and crossing one another in regular intersections; generally 
a grand one of gravel was extended in a straight line immediately 
from the front of the main house, having each side verged either 
with a regular straight border of earth, furnished with a variety of 
flowers, &c. and sometimes having a verge of grass three or four 
feet wide, then a border embellished as above with various plants; 
this main walk being often intersected by others at regular distances, 
so as sometimes to divide the spaces immediately in the from of the 
house, into four, six, or more equal squares, some of which were 
sometimes formed into parterres, sometimes only naked grass- 
plats, or other uniform divisions; and often the whole garden was 
thus divided by straight, parallel, and intersecting walks, into many 
regular squares and angles, without any variation. 
Grand parterres were very commonly presented immediately on 
the front of the main house, having a grand walk of grass or gravel 
directly from the house through the middle, or dividing the parterre 
ground into two divisions. 
A parterre, is a spacious level plot of ground divided into many 
partitions, of different figures and dimensions, by means of e'dginps 
K 
