Longitudinal section (land), a longitudinal section of land in its natural condition, of which the level sections and levelling stations, which are indicated by dotted lines, demonstrate the relation of the land surface to a horizontal base level. This is practised when smoothing out pieces of land on a level or constant slope, laying out gardens, planting tree-lined avenues, cutting paths through forests, etc. The longitudinal sections are generally made on a single scale with regard to the base and vertical lines, though the scale of the base level can sometimes be made smaller than the scale of the vertical lines of the levelling stations in order to shorten a longitudinal section which is too long. However, such a drawing would be inaccurate, because the slopes, falls, etc. which are contrived for regulating pieces of land could not be marked out on it.