Lady Belinda is an enthusiastic gardener. In the illustration she is
depicted in the act of worrying out a pleasant little problem which I
will relate. One of her gardens is oblong in shape, enclosed by a high
holly hedge, and she is turning it into a rosary for the cultivation of
some of her choicest roses. She wants to devote exactly half of the area
of the garden to the flowers, in one large bed, and the other half to be
a path going all round it of equal breadth throughout. Such a garden is
shown in the diagram at the foot of the picture. How is she to mark out
the garden under these simple conditions? She has only a tape, the
length of the garden, to do it with, and, as the holly hedge is so thick
and dense, she must make all her measurements inside. Lady Belinda did
not know the exact dimensions of the garden, and, as it was not
necessary for her to know, I also give no dimensions. It is quite a
simple task no matter what the size or proportions of the garden may be.
Yet how many lady gardeners would know just how to proceed? The tape may
be quite plain--that is, it need not be a graduated measure.
[Illustration]