PROCEEDINGS OF THE WINTER MEETING. 17 



width of the walk depends something on the size of the grounds, but in no 

 case would I have less than five feet, and if the grounds are large, you may add 

 something to that, remembering always that two and often more link arms to 

 enjoy the beauties which nature has so lavishly spread before them. 



A walk thus made will last an indefinite length of time. But a much less 

 expensive walk can be made on most soils by taking out two or three inches of 

 soil, and replacing with good clean sifted gravel, raising the center as high as 

 the lawn, with sufficient depression towards the grass to take off the water ; 

 roll with a heavy roller, and your walk will soon be hard and solid, but it 

 would be improved if rolled again soon after a rain, which has a great tend- 

 ency to assist in its solidification. The same principles carried out make an 

 excellent carriage drive, but we must bear in mind always that a much heavier 

 weight is brought to bear on it, consequently the coarse stones in the bottom 

 want to be thicker and well tamped down with coarse gravel, making a bed at 

 least four inches thick, then two or three inches of coarse gravel well rolled 

 down ; upon this put about three inches of gravel sifted through a coarse 

 sieve, or sufficient to raise the center of the drive even with the lawn, slightly 

 falling towards the outside to carry off the water. 



But if I was called upon to make a drive, where money was no object, where 

 it made no difference whether the expense was one hundred or one thousand 

 dollars, I would dig out my driveway twelve or fourteen inches deep and place 

 in the bottom flat square stones, five or six inches thick, one or two inches apart 

 with the flattest side down, then fill the spaces with coarse stones or gravel well 

 tamped in between the stones. Then put on about four inches of coarse gravel, 

 roll well and leave it till a heavy rain came, which would assist very much in 

 settling it. After the rain I would roll again, then put on gravel sifted through 

 a coarse sieve until the drive was as high in the center as the level of the sod, 

 slightly falling towards the outside to carry off the water. 



The width of the drive must, like the walk, depend somewhat upon the sur- 

 roundings and be in keeping with the extent and style of the buildings, but in 

 no case be less than ten feet. 



In finishing off both walks and drives, give no prominent roundness of 

 appearance, but just enough to take the water from the center to edge of the 

 walk or drive. 



In speaking of gravel, I use bank gravel, as being far preferable to lake or 

 river gravel ; packs harder, quicker, and in all cases makes a better walk or 

 drive. 



Walks thus made and well kept add largely to the beauty and convenience of 

 the home, and are not expensive to make or keep in order when proper tools 

 are used. But they have one drawback which it will be yjroper to notice here, 

 and for which I know of no remedy; when the frost is coming out in the spring 

 the gravel will be like a sponge filled with water until it is thawed deep enough 

 to let the water through, when it will be hard enough to walk on in a very 

 short time, but till then they are useless as walks. 



In my own walks I provide wide boards to lay down the center during the 

 thawing period on those walks most in use. On the others we sometimes en- 

 croach upon the sod, which usually holds the frost till the gravel has thawed 

 out and let the water through. 



DISCUSSION". 



C. \V. Garfield inquired the value of coal ashes for walks. 

 3 



