1869.] ASPHALT WALKS. 317 



the walks are not ready. By that time the ashes will have absorbed 

 the tar thoroughly, and will appear to be much drier than at first, 

 when the same operation of turning the heap by small quantities at 

 a time, and soaking with tar, is again repeated as before, the object 

 being to add just sufficient tar to make the ashes "sticky," without 

 making a puddle of them. The evil of too much tar is, that the 

 walks are soft, and the tar comes up to the surface in the rolling. 

 For this reason it is better to leave the heap to drain for a week or 

 so after the second turning also. This much being accomplished, and 

 supposing all to have gone right, it will now be time to make the 

 walks. Some fine morning, and when there is a prospect of the 

 weather being dry for a day or two, all the barrows are put in 

 action. Two men are set to fill, with strict injunctions to take the 

 heap straight forward as it comes, as the ashes are always wettest 

 in the centre of the heap and driest at the sides ; and two are set to 

 spread the asphalt on the walk as it arrives, about 3 inches deep, with 

 iron rakes, using the back or teeth of the rake as may be needful, and 

 taking care to have the walk slightly round in the middle. Putting 

 on and spreading the asphalt does not take so long as might be 

 imagined — six or eight men will cover 100 yards of walk, 6 feet 

 broad, in about three hours. After spreading, the walk is then rolled 

 with a heavy roller, two men pulling it slowly along, and one going 

 behind sweeping the asphalt off with a besom as it sticks to the roller, 

 whose duty it is also to wash the roller at the end of each journey. 

 After being rolled for an hour or two until it is middling firm, the 

 walk wiU be ready for sprinkling with the spar or gravel. Whatever 

 material is used it should be got ready beforehand. We use Derby- 

 shire spar mixed with shale, which gives the walks a clean smart 

 appearance; but common river -gravel, put through a |-inch sieve, 

 would do well, and would give the appearance of a smoothly-rolled 

 gravel walk. The spar is sprinkled on regularly with the hand, and 

 just thick enough to hide the black surface of the asphalt, then rolled 

 in with the roller until the walk is smooth and firm, when it is finished 

 and fit for traffic. It should, however, be rolled for three or four 

 mornings in succession, before the sun gets strong, in order to insure 

 a firm " set." 



The objections which have been urged against asphalt walks for 

 gardens are, that in hot weather the tar smells disagreeably, and 

 that it is injurious to box-edgings and the roots of trees. As regards 

 the smell, it soon almost disappears, and even in very hot weather it 

 is never so perceptible as to be in the least disagreeable. Box does 

 not thrive very well if it has not got established before the walks 

 are asphalted ; but I could point to walks in the garden here where. 



