LAVER. The basin or vessel, placed in the court of the Jewish tabernacle, where the officiating priests washed their hands, and feet, and cleansed the entrails of victims.
LAWN,:m open space of short-grass ground, in the front of a residence, or in a garden, park, or other pleasure gromid. These, when extended in the principal fronts of habitations, add considerably to the neatness and grandeur of their appearance, by ing them open, and admitting more extensive prospects. Where there is a sufficient scope of ground, they should be as large as the nature of the situation will admit, always being planned in the most conspicuous parts immediately joining the houses, and extended outward as far as convenient, allowing width in proportion ; having each side or verge bounded by elegant shrubbery compart ments in a varied order, separated in some parts by interven ing spaces of grass-ground, of varied dimensions, and ser pentine gravel-walks, gently winding between and through the plantations, for occasional shady, sheltered, and private walking : or similar walks carried along the fronts of the boundary plantations, and immediately joining the lawns, for inure open and airy walking in; and in some concave sweeps of the plantations there may be recesses and open spaces both of grass and gravel, of different forms and dimensions, made as places of retirement, shade, &e.
Though the usual situations of lawns are those just men tioned ; yet if the nature of the ground admit, or in cases where there is a good scope of ground, they may be continued more or less each way ; but always the most considerably on the principal fronts, which, if they be to the south, or any of the southerly points, are the most desirable for the purpose.
With respect to the dimensions, they may be from a quarter of an :mere, or less, to six or eight acres, or more, according to the extent and situation of the ground. Some times lawns are entended over to ten, twenty, or even to fifty or sixty acres, or more. But in these cases they are not kept mown, but eaten down by live stock.
The form must be directed by the nature of the situation ; but it is commonly oblong, square, oval, or circular. But in whatever figure they are designed, they should widen gra dually from the house outward to the farthest extremity, to have the greater advantage of prospect ; and by having that part of them within time limits ofthe pleasure-ground, bounded on each side by plantations of ornamental trees and shrubs, they may be continued gradually near towards each wing of the habitation, in order that the inhabitants may be sooner in the walks of the plantations, under shade, shelter, and retirement. The terminations at the farther ends may be either by lat.has to extend the prospect, or by a shrubbery or
plantation of stately trees, arranged in sweeps and concave curves. But where they extend towards any great road, or distant agreeable prospect, it is more in character to have the utmost verge open, so as to admit of a grand view from and to the main residence.
The side-boundary verges should have the plantations rurally formed, airy and elegant, by being planted with diffe rent sorts of the most ornamental trees and shrubs, not in one continued close plantation, but in distinct separated com partments and clumps, varied larger or smaller, and diffe rently formed, in a somewhat natural imitation, being some times separated and detached, less or more, by intervening breaks, and open spaces of short grass, communicating both with the lawns and interior districts; and generally varied in moderate sweeps and curves, especially towards the lawns, to avoid stiff, formal appearances, both in the figure of the lawns and plantations. In planting the trees and shrubs, which should be both of the deciduous and evergreen kinds, where intended to plant in distinct clumps, either introduce the deciduous and evergreens alternately in separate parts, or have sonic of both interspersed in assemblage ; in either method, placing the lower growth of shrubs towards the front, and the taller backwards, in proportion to their several statures, so as to exhibit a regular gradation of height, that the different sorts may appear conspicuous from the main horns. They may be continued back wards to a considerable depth, being backed with trees and shrubs of more lofty growth. The internal parts of the plantations may have gravel or sand walks, some shady, others open ; with here and there some spacious short-grass openings, of different dimensions and forms.
It is seldom that extensive lawns in parks or paddocks, &e. have any boundary plantations close to what may be con sidered as a continuation of them beyond the pleasure-ground, but they are sometimes dotted with noble trees, dispersed in various parts, at great distances, so as not to obstruct the view; sonic placed singly, others in groups, by twos, threes, fives, &c. and some placed irregularly, in triangles, sweeps, straight lines, and other different figures, to cause the greater variety and effect, each group being diversified with different sorts of trees, all suffered to take their natural growth. Where small, these kinds of openings should always be kept perfectly neat, by being often poled, rolled, and mown ; lint where they are of larger extent, this is scarcely ever the case.
LA See COURSE.