AKT OF GAEDENING.
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notc.li or drain is often formed to cany off the ivatcr whieh oozes from tho toles of tl.o
Hints or any other similar materials, observing always to place the sinallcst at to . Who i
this is done, before tho covering of gravel, sand, or tm-f is laid
he well rolled, so that it may never aiterwnrds vary its position, cithei with the weight ol
seldom he thicker than 0 in., and
generally 4 in. will be suilicient. That
this gravel may bind in so thin a
stratum, it is reiiuisitc that it be free
from larger stones than those tho
size of a [ugeon’s egg, that the general
size be that of large gooseberries or
nlums, and tbat there be about a sixth . r i • 1 x<r;<-n;n
«art of ferruginous sand to promote its hinding. The choice of S'L®’ f J ? ™ ‘ J l
the power of the gardener ; but, in general, pit-gravcl is to be luciened to iiiefy av^
as binding better, and having a better colour. Gravel abounding ré J on« taell '
laid dowS wborc it is finally to remain wlien ncwdy taken out of the pit, and well
watered and rolled, wiU often bind into one compact body, like what is called pudding-
stone Such cravels, however, arc seldom well coloured. Ihc best in this icspcct m
E^mid: mill Tilso a Jod gravd for binding, is the gr.avel of ? ?
qualities it adds that of hcing the most beautiful iii the world. Ihcie aie ^ i c y
a<n-ccable sea gravels, formed cliiefly of small shells, or iragmcnts of aigu ones 1 e
w,ay to make a handsome w.alk with this gravel is to mix it with about a tenth pait d .
composition consisting of eqnal pai'ts of briekdnst and puzzolana earth a
This done, and thcgi-avcl laid down in a wet state, and well rolled, it will form ^ ^ni Uce
like that of shcll-iiiarblc. Where gravel docs not contain a fid ten
earthy matter to cause it to bind, this quality may bo supplied by clay liuint, «» J
reduced to a state of powder, and mixed with the gravel before it is laid on, oi mmc 1
with water and thrown over t e walks after they have been covered with giaicD,
both cases roUhig t e whole finiily immediately after t e clay has been applied.
2385. W here a covering o f sand is adopted its thickness must depend on its qualities,
and whether sand is taken from preference or iioccssity. Wlien sand is ‘L.ré réta ?,,i
fcreiico, the intcntioii is to produce soft walks, which shall yield to the feet like tmf, and
in this case its thickness may he from 3 in. to 6 in. ; but if sand is useifeoeaiiso g avcl
cannot be procured, then little more should be laid on than what is siifticiont to ft 1 up
tlic interstices of the upper surface of the substrata. Sometimes an atterap “ L “, ?
hind such sand, by mixing it with dried clay in a state of powder, or with the sciapmgs
of stone roads, and then watering and rolling ; bnt it is not often that this succctes ; and
it may certainly bo considered as mifortiinato where tho best walks about a rcsiuencc aie
m fè fn -ify o / t u r f a nd earth ( fg . 704, 6) should not be less than 6 in. in
thickness, tlmt there may he snfflcient pasturage and moisture for the roots of t e passes
in t e dry season. For this purpose, the soil laid under tho turf should be a medium
between a stiff clayey and a loose sandy soil, so as more completely to serve as a sponge
f o r gravel a nd sand arc burnt lumps of clay reduced to powder,
noundcd bricks, stones, or slates, scoriæ, ashes, soapcr’s waste, coal, shells, sawdust, tannci s
hark, ferruginous earth, and even moss or peat earth. Bark and pcaj; earth are ottcn
used in Ilolland ; tho former, when fresh, has much of the colour oi lYcnsington giavel,
and, like it, assorts wcU with vegetation.
2388. Substitutes fo r t u r f are green mosses recently gathered, and stuck on moitai oi
cement ; the same process may be followed with liclicns from trees, or with flow-moss oi
^*^2389?^^r/ic fomn o f the surface of gravel, sand, and grass walks, should almost alw.ys
be flat • or, in tbe case of gravel, gently raised in the middle, so as to tlirow the water
towards the sides, in approaching which it may sink gently into the substrata. But in
turf ivalks this should never he attempted ; as it is desirable, on account ot equally wa-
tcrin<’- the plants, and retaining an equal firmness throughout their surface, thy the
wate? should sink in where it falls. It is a common practice to form turf walks ot solid
earth, without any regard to the substrata ; and this succeeds very well in my soils, and
where such walks arc little used except in summer ; but whenever turf walks are to be
in constant use, the above is much the best way of foming them. Gravel and sand liavc,
in like manner, been hiid on the surface of the soil in small gardens, and in very dry subsoils
; and, where this can be done with the attainment of the desired objects, it has this
advantage, that tho roots of trees may irange under the walks, as, indeed, ivlways happens
in shrubberies and plantations. The scoriæ of metals, coal-ashes, the refuse of mines and
glassworks, and other similar matters, arc often used instead of gravel ; but then' coloiu*
seldom harmonises well with that of vegetation.
2390. W a lk s foim ied o f flagstones, supported on stone or h iic k piers, would, in all
countries where this description of stone abounds, form the best kind of walk for a kitclien-
gardcn. The cost would be somewhat greater at iirst ; hut this would be amply compensated
by the saving in carc of gi-avcl, and in the annual clipjiing of box, or whatever
other vegetable edging miglit be employed. The flagstones being raised a iew mchcs
above the soil, for the sake of admitting air to it, the gronnd covered might thus be
rendered available for all the adjoining fruit or other trees or shrabs. tSuch walks
might be used immediately after rain without the slightest inconvenience.
2391. W a lk s fo rm e d o f asphalte arc very liard. flnn, and durable; and, like walks
covered with flagstone, they may be used immediately after rain. Wlien walks of this
kind are to be laid down, the ground, after having been levelled, is covered about 3 ni.
deep W’ith concrete, and on this is laid the asphalte quite hot. There are sevcrai
companies in London from whom the asphalte can he procured, and wlio lay down
walks of it where required. Whore the bituminous substance called _aR]ilialte cannot
readily be procured, a substitute may be formed by boiling gravel in pitch, and laying
it hot on the concrete. It should be then smoothed, and the surface strewed over with
fin2e 3s9a2n.d . , r. i -i T he breadth o f w alks generally depends on the extent or scale of the wholc residence,
and not on that of the particular gai-dcn or scene, which, though small, may be
connected witli greater. Walks should never be narrower than is suificicnt to allow two
persons to walk abreast, the minimum breadth for which is 4 ft. 6 in. ; but they may
be large enough for a party of half a dozen, or, in public walks, or walks in extensive
pleasure-grounds, avenues, &c., for one or two dozen. Eor the latter number 36 ft.
suffice. T he direction of walks depends on thcir particular use, and on their connection
with the different scenes or subjects of gardening. . i
2393. A lle ys arc small walks, generally covered with a thin coat ot sand, gravel, or
shells In parterres they are sometimes of various widths, to suit the particular forms
which constitute the design ; and there also they are sometimes covered with different
sorts of gravels, shelte, scoriæ, &c., or paved with flints, pebbles, &c., ; but the alleys of
separation, in walled gardens, are generally 2 ft. wide, and arc formed in right lines,
pm-allel to the main walks, or borders. Sometimes they are not gravelled, and at other
times tliey are covered with road grit, or the scrapings of roads ; which, of course, is the
powder of the material of which tho road is made, mixed with vegetable matter from the
droppings of horses and cattle, and is considered as well adapted fur binding, or forming
a compact surface. , .-i i
2394 lio a d s arc walks on a largo scale ; they are formed on the same general
nlan • but when of 15 or 20 feet in breadth, ¿md on a wet or retentive soil, they have
gcneially a drain on each side, instead of one in tho centre. On the sides ot slopes,
where, during heavy rains, these roads in-
tcrccpt the water from the upper grounds,
they should have frequent gratings, or
pierced stones, communicating with the
drains on the upper side (fig . 705.),unless
provision he made for intercepting the
wiitcr before it comes on the gravel, by
a gentle hollow (a), nmning parallel
with, and close to, the road, and commimicating in like manner with the drains.
2395. T he d u ra b ility and c om fort o f roads and w a lks depend on their power to resist
the action o f anim als walking on them, of machines being rolled over them, of weather,
and of vegetation. A dry fii-m substratum is necessary for all these purposes ; and
this, as already observed, is to be obtained by draining cither iu the centre or ou the
sides, and by a stratum of gravel or fragments of stone ; the lai-gcst, in walks, of
2 or 3 ounces each, and, in garden-roads, of 6 or 8 ounces; in both eases covered
with smaller gravel. Eor resisting animals, a degree of compactness, solidity, and homogeneous
texture of surface is requisite, according to the weight of the animals and their
burdens, and the area of their feet. Thus, supposing a man to weigh 7 ci\-t., and to
caiTy a load of 2 cwt., and the area of one of his feet to be 25 in., then the walk or road
will require to bear at least 40 lbs. per square inch, and so on. But an animal not only
presses vertically on a walk or road, but his feet (the feet of man singly, and of quad-
nipcds relatively to each other), acting as levers of the third kind, have a tendency to
force up and derange the materials under the point of the foot in the action of walking,
in the same way as the lower end of a ladder, when rcai-ing up against a wall, has a