316 THE GARDENER. [July 



well for pleasure-ground Wcalks, wliere the traffic is liglit, but, from the 

 softness of the material, wholly unfitted for the kitchen garden. In 

 this department we are therefore obliged to resort to asphalting, a 

 plan which was favourably noticed by the Editor of the ' Gardener ' 

 some time ago in his notes on the gardens around Manchester, and 

 which I propose to describe for the benefit of those who may be dis- 

 posed to try it themselves, without going to the expense of employing 

 regular asphalters, who in this district charge, I believe, from 8d. to 

 Is. per square yard, finding all the materials. Those, of course, who want 

 a very neat job should employ them ; but for all practical purposes, 

 good walks may be made by common labourers, as is done here. Asphalt 

 walks are easily and cheaply made, are neat and durable, require no 

 weeding, and, as far as my experience goes, are perfectly safe as regards 

 injury to the roots of trees, &c., of which more anon. The materials — 

 gas-tar and ashes — are easily procured, both being often to be had on the 

 establishment. Ashes, at least, are always plentiful about a garden, and 

 the tar is generally to be got cheap at the nearest gas-work. 



Operations for asphalting commence in winter. In wet or frosty 

 weather, when other work cannot be carried on, the men are set in some 

 out-of-the-way place to screen a quantity of ashes, using a 1-inch 

 barred screen or sieve. The ashes are afterwards laid up in a heap ; the 

 tar is brought and stored conveniently near ; and both are left till about 

 the month of April, which is the best time for asphalting, as there is 

 less danger then of severe frosts occurring to break up the " cake " 

 before it is thoroughly set, and it also gets time to harden before the 

 heat of summer sets in. 



Supposing, therefore, that the walks are cut out, the bottoms filled 

 up with rough ashes or other material to within about 3 inches of the 

 desired level, rolled firm, and the edges of stone or box laid, commence 

 to prepare the asphalt as follows : A clean space having been made 

 near the large heap of sifted ashes, two men set to with shovels, by 

 taking about two barrowfuls from the heap and spreading it in a circle, 

 about 3 or 4 inches deep, a little to one side. The tar is then lifted 

 out of the tubs with a long-handled ladle, and poured over the ashes 

 until they have just got sufficient to soak them without any going to 

 waste by draining away. Then, much in the same way as a mason's 

 labourer mixes mortar, the ashes are turned quickly over once or twice, 

 the better to soak them, and again laid a little to one side as the 

 foundation of the heap. Another similar quantity of ashes is again 

 drawn from the large heap, soaked and turned in the same manner, 

 and thrown on the top of the first ; and so on, until the whole is 

 finished and thrown up in a conical heap. This is the first stage. 

 The heap is now allowed to stand for about ten days, or longer if 



