X96 



JOUBNAL OF HOBTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GABDENEK. 



[ SeptembeF 6, 1866. 



room for them to show themselves. As is generally the case, 

 being miahle to do all that was necessary, we made a compro- 

 mise of the matter ; and after making all tidy near the mansion 

 we went through with a Dutch hoe the most conspicuous parts 

 of the kitchen gai'deu, and where very prominent, contrary to 

 our usual practice, we ran a rake over the ground, just to re- 

 move any weeds above 3 inches in height, and to expose the 

 others more to the sun. In any patches extra thick, the quick- 

 est and best way to put them out of sight is just to turn them 

 by a shallow shovelling rather than digging — holding the spade 

 in a nearly horizontal position, or almost parallel with the 

 surface of the ground, and only making it go 3 or 4 inches 

 deep. Even in softish walks this is the quickest plan to clear 

 any very green part. Hoeing and raldng is of little use in the 

 autumn unless you are sure of some days' sun ; and though 

 salt would soon settle the matter by killing all above ground, it 

 will act as a stimulant to future crops ; and if the walks are 

 smooth on the surface — that is, very fine and smooth for thin- 

 soled slipjjers in summer, they will become retentive of mois- 

 ture, and be apt to be sloppy in muggy weather in winter. 



Some of our correspondents have i)een doing what we hope 

 is rather unusual — reacHng up some of our old forgotten articles, 

 at least forgotten by ourselves ; and this question of saltinij 

 walks is a matter which seems to them deserving of more 

 notice. We shall endeavour to meet their wishes by detailing 

 our present impressions, based on practice and observation. 



A wide walk in the kitchen garden, on which not a weed 

 was seen three weelcs ago, was becoming all over of a greenish 

 hue, when yoiT looked along it in the morning before the dew 

 was dissipated. There being Box on each side, salt was thrown 

 along, just enough to give it a regular white appearance, on 

 Tuesday morning ; it was brushed over on Wednesday forenoon, 

 and now, on Thursday, hardly a trace of the salt is to be seen. 

 The weeds, though smaU at first, are not quite out of sight yet, 

 but another day's sun will pretty well accomplish that. Some 

 friends salt close up to the Box edging; but we have good 

 reasons for not doing so, and therefore leave a space unsalted 

 of from 9 to 13 inches in width, which, is weeded by hand in 

 the usual way. 



This is the only walk we have as yet salted, and it is different 

 from most others. In the end of the spring it became a little 

 green ; and as we had no time to turn it, even if there had 

 been depth enough, we gave it a deepish hoeing with the Dutch 

 hoe when it was damp, and raked it several times when it was 

 dry. The walk had been rather too smooth in winter, and 

 therefore we left the surface rather rough ; the gravel left 

 there from tae rake consisting chiefly of pieces from the size 

 of Broad Beans to that of Walnuts. Even after several rolUngs 

 the walk after chy weather w-ould be a little rough to the feet ; 

 but from its very roughness it will be better to walk on in 

 winter, as in scarcely any weather will it adhere to the feet, as 

 a smoother walk would be apt to do. The effect of the salt 

 will be to crack and split a number of the stones and pebbles, 

 but we do not think that wiU be done to such an extent as to 

 render the walk too smooth and moisture-laden for the winter. 

 We can hardly obtain both advantages. The smooth-surfaced 

 walk is the most pleasant in smnmer ; one a little rougher on 

 the surface, but firm withal to prevent the rains sinking in it, 

 is the most serviceable in winter. 



We ought here to state, that we have not followed the usual 

 com-se with our flower-garden walks this season. These walks 

 at first were made very shallow, and were scarcely ever broken 

 on the surface. Every summer, as soon as the bedding was 

 about over, even though few weeds were to be seen, we scattered 

 a little fine salt along them, choosing the sunniest daj'S for 

 the work ; then in about a couple of days or so, we threw 

 along them a little fine gi-avel, or sittings of gravel, just enough 

 to give a fresh appearance, and levelled either vrith a broom or 

 the back of a rake, and after the first shower whisked over 

 them with a broom and then rolled them down. The salt was 

 partly absoi-bed by the old and partly by the new surface, and 

 the slight sprinkling prevented anything like softness until the 

 end of the autumn. If any person over-critical happened to 

 be in the way, the slight fresh covering neutralised the white 

 colour of the salt. By such management our walks were 

 generally in good condition all the summer and autumn, and 

 as they were not gi'eatly used in winter, no objection could be 

 taken to them. Last winter, however, they were more used, 

 and after frosts, thaws, and rains, they were more sloppy than 

 we wished to see them. With the exception of the fresh 

 dustings of siftings, they had never had any gravel for more 

 than twenty years, and we have no doubt that the salt had 



eaten down into and converted into powdery material all the 

 little stones near the surface. Walks to be used much in 

 winter are, therefore, none the better of being over-smooth on 

 the surface, unless, indeed, the surface should have a thin 

 covering of pure sand, that would be little influenced by frosts 

 and thaws. There is no doubt a great ditference in gravels, but 

 good gravel is often vei-y difficult to obtain in some neighbour- 

 hoods. The above is about the easiest mode that we have met 

 with of keeping walks nice ; but until we had more rough 

 material near the surface we should not like to use much salt 

 for fear of its effect in retaining moisture in winter. With 

 roughish gravel it may be more freely used. • 



So much have we noticed the effects of salt, soda, &c., in 

 eating into, reducing, and tm-ning the hardest stone into duat, 

 that we would repeat the caution long ago given, not to use 

 salt on gravel near any builtling or wall of stone, &c. We 

 cannot well pronoimce on the distance to be safe ; but it would 

 be well not to go nearer at least than from 4 to fi feet. It is 

 amazing how salt thrown down on gravel, close to the walls of 

 a house, will find its way into these walls, mount upwards, 

 and crumble the stone as it goes. It is safest used on walks 

 bordered by grass edgings. We once saw a fine stone curb for 

 flower-beds shelling off in laminae and crumbling away, and 

 the circumstance was considered unaccountable. We have not 

 a doubt that the salting of the walks did the mischief. We 

 did not require to be told of the salting ; the sight of the clear 

 almost crystaUine-like gravel was enough. Salt, therefore, even 

 as a weed-destroyer should be used with caution. 



Once more as to the mode of applying salt. Wo prefer the 

 simplest and the most economical. Be the land of salt rough 

 or smooth, white or discolom-ed, it is mallett'd, and made to 

 pass through a fine sieve, and then scattered with the hand or 

 small shovel as thinly and evenly as possible over the gravel, 

 so as to leave salt everywhere. We would sooner go a second 

 time than put on too much, owing to what we have said above 

 as to its moisture-retaining qualities. So much for the mode, 

 now as to the time. That should be in a sunny day, and when 

 our own feelings, as well as the barometer, lead us to expect that 

 the weather will be dry for several days. The longer the salt 

 appears on the surface, the more thoroughly it will act ; but 

 even imder the above cu-cumstances, the white appearance will 

 not last long. The sunny day is generally foDowed by dew at 

 night, and the weeds and the gravel absorb 'the liquefying salt 

 slowly, but more thoroughly, than if more quickly liquefied. Of 

 course, if put on before rains, the salt is carried to the sides o£ 

 the walk, and into the drains, and if there are Box edgings woe- 

 betide them, imless well elevated. Whilst the salt lies no one 

 should step from the walk to the lawn, or every step will leave 

 a black mark. Ladies and gentlemen generally dislike the 

 white appearance, and, therefore, a time should be chosen 

 when they are not likely to see it. It done along with a fresh _ 

 surfacing, as detailed above, that objection would be consider- " 

 ably obviated. In our pleasure grounds we should use little 

 this season, but if much green should appear for a few inches 

 at the sides of the walks, we shall use it there in preference to 

 weeding. But for making walks too fine, and too retentive of 

 moisture in winter, there is no plan for keeping them bright 

 and clean in summer that would be equally economical. We 

 prefer for .similar reasons of economy using the dry salt at 

 once. We have no objection to urge against those who prefer 

 using the salt melted in either cold or boiling water ; but salt 

 for salt, we believe we obtain as much benefit from the dry salt 

 as from an equal quantity either in hot or cold water. Of 

 com-se, the former acts more quickly, and those who prefer a 

 machine for boiling the water and the salt, may weU carry out 

 their own views. The amateur may do all he wants by merely 

 sowing the salt, and keeping his feet from going on grass after- 

 wards. 



As soon as possible we shall nm the fork through recently- 

 planted Cauliflower, Broccoli, Coleworts, young Spinach, Onions, 

 &c., as the heavy rains have battered the surface, and these 

 crops will be all the better of a little air being let in amongst 

 the roots. About the time this is printed, we shall sow Cauli- 

 flower for the first crops next spring. A little rough sand is a 

 good thing to throw over the surface, as slugs and worms dis- 

 like it much. Cut Basil, Marjoram, &c., for drying. WiU take 

 Onions under cover ere long. If merely kept dry they will not 

 suffer from frost. See what has recently been said of Mush- 

 rooms, &c. Will turn over, by trenching, part of the Onion 

 ground for Cabbages. Most probably we shall put on a lot of 

 rotten grass, &c., as a manure, but that will be placed some 

 IS or 24 inches from the sm-face, so as to tell on the plants 



