7 ^ Flower Garden . 
187 
placed upon it. The ground, as will be noted, is higher in the centre for the 
sake of obtaining the utmost dryness, and then gradually slopes away to the 
sides, which are eighteen inches in depth. These sides are filled with coarser 
gravel and clinkers than the centre for the purpose of acting as drains to take 
off any water that may accumulate. The whole walk is then filled up to 
within four inches at the sides, with rubble, coarse gravel, or any angular 
material that will remain dry and porous, the crown of the walk being kept 
two or three inches higher than the sides. The whole should then be 
thoroughly beaten, in order that the various materials may set well; and 
finally, after all the rough work in the garden has been finished, three inches 
of fine gravel may be spread evenly over the whole surface, and the walk 
carefully rolled. The crown of the walk will then be about two inches 
higher in the centre than the level of the grass, in order to give it a slight 
prominence (Section II.). 
In order to obtain the utmost degree of dryness, eyeholes with gratings, or 
grids as they are called, on the top (Section IV. i), should be built at various 
distances along the sides of the walks, in order that the surface water may 
drain off into these lodges, and from thence, by means of a small branch pipe 
(2) into the nearest common drain. These lodges or eyeholes are generally 
built of loose bricks, about twenty to thirty to each one; on the top is placed 
an iron grid or grating, level with the walk, through which the surface water 
drains off into the eyeholes. 
Just a few words on the borders, lawns and clumps. Firstly, as regards 
the borders both of the pleasure ground and kitchen garden. These borders 
should not have more than three feet of rich alluvial soil, as they then become 
unsuited to the perfect growth of fruit trees or shrubs, since the roots pass 
away too far from light and air, two essential requisites to the healthy growth 
of a plant. A good plan is to place a layer of stones or rubbish below that 
depth in order to obtain this. The borders in the pleasure ground should be 
raised a few inches above the level of the strip of turf, in order to give 
greater prominence to the flowers and shrubs, which will have the effect of 
setting them off to better advantage. 
As regards the lawns, the turf should be taken off in strips one foot wide, 
three feet long, and two inches in depth, and the ground thoroughly dug over 
to the depth of at least two feet, and then well rammed, in order to avoid 
after sinking; level pegs should be put in, to obtain a perfect level, which is 
essential for the well-being of the garden, and, before putting back the turf, a 
