t% 
GRAVEL. 
break a number of small stones, or 
pebbles, into fragments ; and if this 
be done with about one-third of the 
quantity of gravel to be used, and 
the fragments intimately mixed 
with the round pebbles, the gravel, 
when thoroughly rolled with a very 
heavy roller, will bind. The finest 
gravel in the world is composed of 
the débris of flints, such as the Ken- 
Sington gravel; and this kind, 
which has hitherto been found in 
only a few parts of England, is 
sent to every part of the world. 
It must always be remembered, 
that broken angular pieces of stone, 
whether large or small, will bind 
much better than round pebbles; 
and if with the broken stones be 
mixed a ferruginous clay, which is 
generally of a reddish, brownish, 
or yellowish colour, and the whole 
be rolled immediately after it is 
laid down, it will harden by expo- 
sure to the atmosphere, and will 
become quite firm and smooth. If, 
however, the rolling should be neg- 
lected for a few days, the particles 
of rusty earthy matter will become 
hardened individually in a_ loose 
tate ; and even if rolled afterwards, 
they will never become quite firm. 
It must also be observed, that large 
and small stones do not bind well 
together ; and hence all gravel, as 
soon as it 1s taken from the pit, 
should be sifted through a wire 
screen, the wires of which are only 
sufficiently wide apart to admit 
stones of the size of a moderately 
large guvoseberry, and all the larger 
stones should be thrown on one side 
to be broken. The gravel that has 
passed through the screen should 
then be examined, and if it be found 
mixed with too much earthy matter, 
it should be again sifted through a 
wire sieve, sufficiently fine to allow 
only the earth to pass through. Part 
of the earthy matter should then 
be well mixed with the gravel and 
broken stones, in the proportion of 
235 
GRAVEL. 
one third of each, and the whole 
should be laid evenly on the walk, 
and rolled immediately. 
When gravel walks have become 
loose from time or frequent sweep- 
ing, or from the gravel being origi- 
nally of a bad quality, they may be 
rendered firm by forking them over ; 
and, after raking out the largest of 
the stones, and breaking them, mix- 
ing the gravel with equal parts of 
sand and ferruginous clay in a 
somewhat moist state; rolling the 
whole as soon as the materials have 
been equally spread over the walk. 
If, however, neither sand nor fer- 
ruginous clay can be easily procur- 
ed, burnt common clay powdered 
may be mixed with the gravel; the © 
clay having been burnt by spread- 
ing it on the furnace of a hothouse, 
or by mixing it with fagots, and 
then setting fire to the whole; but 
in this case also, care must be taken 
that the mixed clay and gravel are 
watered after they are laid down, 
and immediately after rolled. 
There are various substitutes for 
gravel. Where colour is the object, 
as well as firmness and smoothness, 
there is nothing better than burnt 
lumps of clay, reduced to a very 
coarse powder, and slightly mixed 
with Roman cement. Where colour 
can be dispensed with, a most effec- | 
tive garden-walk, and one which 
will last for many years, may be 
formed of the scrapings of public 
ro@ds, which have been made, or 
metalled, as road-makers term it, 
with granite, or other coarse stone, 
mixed with tar, laid down to the 
depth of six inches on a bottom of 
broken stone, and smoothly and 
firmly rolled. The different kinds 
of asphalte so laid down also make 
smooth and durable walks ; but they 
are too expensive for general use. 
Where no gravel can be procured, 
granite or other stone, broken very 
small, and firmly rolled, will make 
a very durable walk, though the 
“lop 
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