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Outdoor Problems of the Householder: Section

Grading. First settle the grade or contour you desire the surface to have. As a general rule avoid terraces, or other banks or sharp curves on any part of your grounds. They are ordinarily more expensive to grade and much more difficult to maintain. They are liable to injury from frost and to erosion or "washing" by rains. They are also diffi- DWELLING SECTION A SIDEWALR OWELLING SIDEWALK SECTION B .

OWELLING SECTION C SIDEWALR Cross sections of bad and good grading of small front yards. L indicates the level of the house foundation, and M a straight line from the top of the foundation to the sidewalk level.

Section A: Bad, with the rare exception of where a strictly formal treatment treatment is admissible. Section B:

Bad. Section C: Good. This ogee curve may be short or long to accomthe difference in height between the dwelling and sidewalk, and the distance between them.

Corbett.) (L. C. cult to trim and keep in order. Most grounds will admit of the long sweeping curve shown in the accompanying illustration. This is greatly to be preferred to the more costly and less attractive terrace bank. If the ground is level, it is most unwise to build artificial banks or terraces to be covered with turf, or otherwise to incur needless expense to produce the effect of slopes or curves. A perfectly flat lawn, if well kept, may be very beautiful.

The less grading done, the better.

The best landscape engineers seek to conform to the natural contours of the soil. Modify these only when necessary, either to produce a more pleasing symmetry, or to bring them into pleasant relations with the adjacent street, walks and drives, and the home with its accompanying buildings.

Most often all that is necessary in grading is to take soil from a high point upon the grounds with which to fill up a nearby hollow. This course is always preferable because the work can be done with a scraper much cheaper than by shoveling the soil into carts. But take care in all such cases to first scrape from the ground the surface soil. This extends to a depth of four to six inches and may easily be distinguished by its color and texture. Bank this at one side to be returned to its original position after the grading of the sub-soil has been done. Otherwise the top of the hill will be cut down to a hard sub-soil and the surface soil in the hollow will be covered with sub-soil. Such spots can be seeded with great difficulty, if at all.

Moreover, the grass which springs up on them will almost certainly dry up at the first drouth thus giving the lawn a spotty appearance. After all the sub-soil that is needed to fill the hollows has been taken from the high ground, break up the sub-soil which remains on the crest of the knoll, to the depth of four to six inches with a plow. This will make it correspond more nearly in mechanical condition to the sub-soil which was removed. Then level carefully with a harrow or rake and replace the surface soil in its original position.