The whole of the ground, except the part on which the house stands, was trenched 4 ft. deep; the surface soil of what was excavated for the foundation and basement story of the house, and the half on the surface soil of the road, being previously distributed over the garden in such a manner as to raise the ground at the house 2 ft, higher than the footpath in the street Round the house the ground was kept nearly on a level for some feet distant; after which it was made to decline equally on every side, till at the front entrance it was higher than the gravel of the public path by the depth of the sill of the gate; and at the back entrance it was on a level with the path of the public lane. Before trenching, the ground was also limed, and thickly coated over with the best London stable dung. The lime was introduced, not only for the sake of adding calcareous matter to the earth, but for forming a comparatively insoluble compound with the dung, in order to prevent it from being all employed by the roots of the trees at once. By a part of it being rendered comparatively insoluble, there will be, as it were, a reserve of nourishment in the soil for many years to come; because it is well known that time and the soil gradually dissolve such a compound.

The trenching was performed in autumn, and in the following spring the walks were hollowed out, the edgings firmly beaten, and planted with box, and the walks laid with grave), and immediately after very heavily rolled.