16 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



should be made for a double purpose — use and ornament. Their length, 

 breadth and shape must be in just proportion Avith the size and aspect of the 

 grounds and the landscape of which they form a part ; their borders should be 

 accurately cut and all rubbish carefully raked off and thrown in the compost 

 heap. Thus kept, their graceful curves and bends are objects of attraction, 

 which give pleasure to the observer and satisfaction to the proprietor. But I 

 am not called upon to express the satisfaction one has in looking at or walking 

 over a beautiful lawn with its well-kept walks and drives, and the pleasure one 

 has while looking at a beautiful landscape where nature and art are judiciously 

 blended ; but we must come down to the practical methods of making these 

 walks and drives which are so directly connected with the utility and adorn- 

 ment of the surrounding landscape. In making walks and drives, a practical 

 man will not lay out a plan for them until he has made himself acquainted 

 with every feature of the surroundings, having viewed them from every point, 

 that he may choose the choicest and most picturesque spots through which he 

 can lay the easiest and most graceful lines. 



Straight walks and drives should always be avoided where there are any pre- 

 tentions to size and adornment, though the ground forming the lawn should 

 be even and level. But you must always have an object to turn you aside 

 from a straight line ; you must butt against something to make a curve, even 

 if you have to plant a tree or a group of shrubbery, which will soon appear as 

 if you made the curve to prevent digging up the tree, or rooting out the shrub- 

 bery — a cause for the curve must be made to appear. 



After we have carefully selected our route and decided upon the line which 

 we think will add most to the picturesqueness of the place, we proceed to stake 

 it, usually doing this by staking out the general outline of the walk from the 

 two given points the width desired, then with stakes throw out your curves 

 and graceful flowing lines as seem the most appropriate and satisfactory. 

 These stakes may have to be changed frequently before you are quite satisfied 

 as to the effect, as most has to be done by the eye, and must be considered 

 from every point. 



When all the outlines are established, we proceed to make our walks and 

 drives according to the following general rule, varying, however, to some ex- 

 tent on different soils. In the first place we must make provision for the easy 

 escape of water, either by drainage if the soil is heavy and holds water ; or if 

 light and porous, the water being readily absorbed by the soil, we have no dif- 

 ficulty, except where the grade is great, and in heavy rains would wash and 

 gutter out ; then we must make frequent outlets, that the surplus water may 

 run off without washing, or it could be run into a tile drain under cover, but 

 in a light sand or gravelly soil the surplus water soon disappears, and the dam- 

 age, if any, can be easily repaired. The water being provided for, we proceed 

 to throw out the soil to the depth of six inches for a walk, and ten inches 

 for a drive, more or less according to the nature of the soil, making the bot- 

 tom level, on which we place about three inches of coarse gravel or stones, 

 well tamped or rolled down ; broken brick or stone, which are usually to be 

 had when the house is built, or any coarse material of the kind well tamped 

 clown, will make a good bottom ; on this put sufficient gravel sifted through a 

 coarse sieve to bring the center of the walk on a level with the lawn, rounding 

 to the edges with a depression sufficient to carry the water, when it rains, from 

 the center to the sides of the walk, where it is soon absorbed into the lawn; 

 roll well with a heavy roller, and your walk will be smooth and solid. The 



