For August, l')21 



669 



perfume so lavishly throughout the lung summer nights, 

 have not their own mission ? We are inclined to think so. 

 Surely that bed of Ten-week Stocks, upon which the dew 

 is falling ; those Sweet Rockets in the borders ; the starry 

 white flowers of Nicotiana; that edging of Mathiola; 

 those few belated Pinks, almost rivalling old Clove Car- 

 nation; that breath, wafted from the Lavender bush 

 yonder, never gave so rich a fragrance as when the flow- 

 ers are almost hidden from view. Did we think when 

 we brought the straggling Honeysuckle home and planted 

 it, not without misgivings, that it would bloom so well 

 in our garden? Let its sweet aroma answer. Have the 

 Roses which have clustered round our window-frames 

 along the years lost any of their elusive spell as they 

 speak to us of sweetness in the quiet of the night ? Has 

 the Jasmine, with its countless white blossoms, that 



"Keep their odor to themselves all day, 

 Cut when the sunlight dies away 

 Let their delicious secret out," 



ever seemed so fragrant as at this hour? What is it 

 that suggests a scent as of ripe Apples? What can it 



be but the pungent leaves on a bush which for years we 

 have called familiarly "our Sweet Briar"? Did those 

 spikes of Mignonette to which we gave a passing glance 

 as we took a hasty survey of the garden before we left 

 for business in the morning seem quite as rich in per- 

 fume as they do now, in the almost darkness, when there 

 is nothing to betray their whereabouts, save the sweet- 

 ness of their breath ? What are those chaste white blos- 

 soms, so faintly discerned, that rear their tall stems, scn- 

 tinel-like, in the evening hour? What but the Lilies 

 could exhale fragrance so delightful? Well was it said 

 of the Lilies by one in the long ago that, because of their 

 transcendent beauty and simplicity, they surpassed in 

 glory the mag'nificence of an earthly king, but who among 

 us can compute their richness, or who can meastire their 

 exquisite odor? 



Ruskin tells us that color is meant for our perpetual 

 comfort and delight, and in the realm of beauty, as repre- 

 sented by the flowers, it is a wondrous charm ; but there 

 is something more than color which they possess. We 

 venture to say that it is another attribute, in which all 

 who love and grow them may share, and it is expressed 

 in one word — Sweetness ! — Gardeiiiiig Illustrated. 



Garden Paths 



AliCJOD path ma_\- be made with sawdust and 

 cement. Take a quantity of clean sawdust, and 

 divide it into two parts. Boil some tar, and with 

 this make one heap of sawdust into a paste. Let it stand 

 abotit one hour, and then add it to the second heap of 

 sawdust, thoroughly mixing the two together. At the 

 same time add clean coarse sand in the proportion of two 

 bucketfuls of sand to one sack of sawdust. 



Sprinkle the base of the path well with tar, and lay the 

 cement two or two and a half inches thick. Sprinkle the 

 surface with dry sand, and roll well, taking care to keep 

 the roller wet to prevent the cement sticking to it. This 

 may be done by hanging a wet bag over the roller. 



For .small gardens where durability and neatness, 

 rather than artistic appearance are required, tar paths are 

 to be recommended. The materials required are those 

 necessary for a gravel path with the addition of coal tar 

 as a binding material for the upjjer layers. 



For a really good, Arm tar-path, all the broken stone 

 forming the top layer should be mixed with coal tar and 

 :ast into the trench, much the same way as concrete is 

 prepared. .\ layer of clean gravel mixed with tar should 

 be spread on the top, then a thin layer of sand, broken 

 shells, or siuall stone chippings, to form the surface. 

 This must be rolled with a heavy roller to consolidate the 

 ^ whole. If tar exudes while the rollings proceeds, spread 

 on more sand to absorb the surplus. 



The sand used in tar paving must be free from dust 

 and nuul. and the gravel be angular, if a firm jiath be 

 desired. If the gravel consists of round pebbles, and the 

 sand contains dust or mud, the path will be soft in hot 

 weather, because such material becomes charged with an 

 excess of tar. The work must be done in fine weather. 



A grass jialh is a charming feature, especially when 

 flanked on each side by- a herbaceous border. Grass ]5aths 

 have a more natural apjiearance than gravel, and hcl]) to 

 intensity the beauty and dignity of the surrounding vege- 

 tation. \Vherever possible a grass path should be given 

 the preference, unless, of course, it will be used much, in 

 which case, gravel would answer best. 



A grass path to be eft'ective should be not less than 

 three feet in width : six feet or eight feet is a still greater 

 im]ir()vemenl , Grass paths arc suitable for seii.arating 



plots devoted to fruit, roses or vegetables, and very pleas- 

 ing indeed is their efi^ect. When w'heeling has to be done, 

 planks should be laid down to wheel upon. Besides the 

 charming efliect, grass paths have the merit of cheapness, 

 and, besides, there is no necessity for edgings. 



There is nothing to equal turf as an edging to a path. 

 If the edges are kept properly cut, the turf will have a 

 neat and pleasing appearance. Even if a flower border 

 or bed adjoin a path, it is a wise plan to have a strip of 

 turf one foot wide as an edging. 



Having properly constructed the paths, their future 

 management has to be considered. For gravel or ballast 

 paths, frequent rolling is necessary to ensure a firm, even 

 surface. The best time to roll is right after a shower, or 

 during showery weather, when the surface is moist. The 

 material will set better then. 



Paths should be rolled once a month, but if possible 

 once a week is better. If it is necessary to roll in dry 

 weather, give the gravel a good watering beforehand. 

 Loose gravel or shingle should always be raked over be- 

 fore rolling to ensure an even surface. Weeds must be 

 kept down with weed killer, hand weeding or careful use 

 of the hoe. 



Gravel walks which have been made for many years, 

 and subjected to much wear and tear, will naturally have 

 become uneven on the surt'ace. Besides, the frequent 

 sweepings to remove cut grass from the edgings, and 

 fallen leaves, etc., \\ill gradually have worn away the 

 surface gravel or grit, and have left the sides somewhat 

 loose and thin and blackened with soil. It. therefore, be- 

 comes necessary every two or three years, if not annually, 

 to add a dressing of fine binding gravel to the surface. 



\\'hen doing this._ first loosen the surface with a rake, 

 and make as even as possible. On this, place a thin layer 

 (»f fine loamy gravel, containing a proportion of at least 

 one-fifth loam to one of gravel. Lightly rake over and 

 then roll well. This will make the surface fresh and 

 smart in appearance, and produce an effect equal to a 

 new path. — li. C. Tillett in Tlic Canadian Horticulturist. 



"Tem])erament is an explanation of things, not an ex- 

 cuse for things. We are as responsible for the use we 

 make of a temj)eranient as for anvtliing cKc" 



