8 THE FLORAL WOELD AND GAEDEN GUIDE. 



And now as to the modus operandi. First of all, the walks must 

 be set out and got in readiness, and then the ashes — usually plentiful 

 about a garden — must be sifted. Two men will sift as many in two 

 days as will cover a great stretch of ground. A one-inch sieve or 

 screen must he used. If the ashes are put through a wider mesh 

 than this, they are too lumpy, and do not bed well ; and if through 

 a less, they contain too much small, and the " cake " is too soft and 

 yielding. They should he thrown into a circular flat heap about two 

 feet deep when sifted, and the tar should be led and emptied over 

 them at once — about as much as will soak them the first time with- 

 out draining away to waste, which is a matter of judgment at the 

 time. It is better to give too much, however, than too little, as 

 what tar runs through can be ladled up and poured on again until 

 the ashes absorb it all, which they take a little time to do. As soon 

 as the tar has been emptied on, however, the heap must be turned 

 at once, and turned again, mixing the wet with the dry ashes as the 

 work proceeds, so as to soak up the tar as much as possible ; and 

 when finished, the heaps should be thrown into a conical shape, and 

 left to soak for about a week, when the ashes will appear much drier 

 than they were when turned, in consequence of the tar soaking into 

 the cinders more completely, This is the reason of applying the tar 

 twice. If the whole is put on at one time, the half of it will run 

 off, and after the ashes have been put on the walk they will dry and 

 break up like a macadamised road in dry weather. The first dose of 

 tar saturates the cinders, and the second makes them sticky. At the 

 end of a week the second dose must be given, the heap turned as 

 before, and again left for several days. The drainings maybe poured 

 back on the heap again ; but if the tar persists in draining through, 

 it is better to let it run away, or use it on another heap ; ftr the 

 ashes must not be puddly, or dripping with the tar, but, as we have 

 said before, sticky only, and no more, otherwise tbe walk will not 

 set so hard. When it is seen that the material is in this condition, 

 wheel off on to the walk, and spread it about four inches deep, and 

 level it as it is put on with the back of a rake, leaving an even sur- 

 face, and taking care that the walk is slightly rounded towards the 

 centre, in order to throw the water off to the sides. As soon as all 

 has beeu put on, roll it with a wet roller two or three times, and 

 keep the roller clean with a besom as it goes along. The usual way 

 is for two men to pull the roller, and one to go behind with a besom, 

 all taking care how they put their feet down. After this, sprinkle 

 the surface with gravel or spar, put through a half-inch sieve, so 

 thickly, as just to hide the asphalte, and roll again for three or four 

 hours, till it is quite firm, and continue the rolling for an hour or 

 two every morning when it is cool, for three or four days. If the 

 work has been done with ordinary care, the walk is fit for traffic as 

 soon as it is finished, and is perfectly clean to the feet. If the gravel 

 has been put on thick enough, it makes a clean, dry surface at once, 

 and keeps its colour perfectly. If more happens to be sprinkled on 

 than will roll in to stick, it can be easily swept off afterwards, when 

 the asphalte has set fairly. A walk finished in this way — and it 

 must be sprinkled with something — has just the appearance of a 



