PLAN BEFORE PLANTING, 
81 
Architecture, in execution, becomes a matter of stone, brick, mor- 
tar, wood, and iron ; but who, except an ignoramus, would expect 
the skillful architect to devote himself to the handling of these 
materials, instead of to his books, his pictures, and his drawing- 
board ? Good garden designs necessitate the same kind of thought, 
and taste, and careful comparison of different plans, and consid- 
eration of expense, before commencing to handle the materials, 
that are to be used to carry out the design. The plan must be 
complete before commencing work on the foundations, whether for 
architecture or for decorative gardening. The time to do this can 
best be given during the days and long winter evenings preceding 
the season for work ; and cannot be in those few lovely days of 
swelling buds, into which so many kinds of spring work are neces- 
sarily crowded. If, however, there is any skillful garden designer 
within reach, we advise, unhesitatingly, his employment. He will 
do the planning in one-tenth the time that an amateur can, and 
probably a great deal better j and his services should be paid for 
as for those of other professional men of education and culture. 
If the reader will be governed by our advice, we shall insist 
on his having a correct map made of the lot upon which he has 
built, or proposes to build, and plant ; showing accurately the lo- 
cation and plan of the house, and all the outbuildings, and the 
position of every tree or large shrub already growing. Such trees 
or shrubs should have the breadth of their tops lightly sketched 
in. Rock boulders, or ledges, which are not to be removed, should 
also be distinctly platted. The map should be drawn on a scale 
that will permit of its being pasted on a drawing-board not larger 
than two feet by three. The best of drawing-paper should be 
used. It should be moistened, and put on by some draughtsman 
familiar with the mode of doing it. If a lot loo x 300 is to be 
platted on a scale of one-eighth of an inch to a foot, it will cover 
122 X 37.^ inches of paper. Scaled one-twelfth of an inch to a 
foot, the same lot would cover 8] x 25 inches of paper, which 
would be the best scale for a lot of that length. For a larger lot 
it would be advisable to reduce the scale to one-sixteenth of an 
inch to the foot (or sixteen feet to one inch) ; and for a lot not 
more than a hundred feet long, or where not more than one hun- 
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