THE LADIES’ MAGAZINE OF GARDENING. 
165 
dry or a very poor soil will make the plants weak and stunted ; and a 
very rich or a very moist one will make them produce more leaves than 
flowers. The situation having been chosen, the ground must be levelled, 
and the plan, if complicated, traced upon it, which is generally done by divid¬ 
ing the ground into a number of squares with sticks and packthread, placed 
at regular distances, so that the strings may intersect each at right angles, 
and then, having divided the plan into an equal number of squares by lines 
drawn on the paper, copying on a larger scale what is found in every 
square. This is difficult to describe; but it will be easy in practice, to any 
one who has been accustomed to copy in worsted work patterns drawn 
on Berlin paper. The straight lines are formed by putting two pieces of 
stick into the ground, at the points which are intended to be the ex¬ 
tremities of the lines, and then chalking a piece of string drawn rather 
tight, and fastened to both. When the string is chalked, it is lifted up a 
little in the middle and let go suddenly, when the chalk which is thrown 
off by the vibration makes a perfectly straight white line on the ground. 
A circle is formed with a similar piece of string, having a stick tied to each 
end. One of the sticks is then fixed in the ground in the centre of the 
intended circle, and the other being drawn round, so as to mark the earth 
at the full length of the string, makes a perfect circle. Having thus said a 
few words on the modern practice of laying out flower-gardens, I shall lay 
before my readers an extract from a book published on the subject, nearly 
two hundred years ago. 
rt Fair houses are more frequent than fine gardens ; the first effected by 
artificers only, the latter requiring more skill in the owner; few gardens 
being found well furnished out of the hands of an affectionate florist. 
The love of such a master will keep each tender plant alive his care and 
skill have collected; for never was any art or excellence liked or loved by 
the ignorant; it is knowledge that begets affection, and affection increaseth 
knowledge. Love was the inventor, and is still the maintainer of every 
noble science. It is chiefly that which hath made my flowers and trees to 
flourish, though planted in a barren desert, and hath brought me to the 
knowledge I now have in plants and planting ; for, indeed, it is impossible 
for any man to have any considerable collection of noble plants to prosper, 
unless he love them : for neither the goodness of the soil, nor the advan¬ 
tage of the situation, will do it without the master s affection : it is that 
which animates and renders them strong and vigorous ; without which 
they will languish and decay through neglect, and soon cease to do him 
service. 
“ I have seen many gardens of the new model, in the hands of unskilful 
persons, with good walls, walks, and grass plots ; but in the most essential 
