126 ON THE MAKING AND FORMATION OF GRAVEL 'WALKS. 



and the adjoining ground sown with seeds of a different kind of 

 grass ; when turf is not plentiful, it is always hetter to sow the 

 whole with seeds, and in that case the verges should be made up 

 with soil free from stones, occasionally using a little water, so that 

 the whole may tread firm and hard. When raised to the proper 

 level, and cut as directed above, a drill made parallel with the walk 

 on the extreme edge of the verge is filled with seeds, and neatly 

 covered with soil. The rest of the ground is then sown rather 

 thickly, and raked in in the usual way ; and by attention to rolling 

 and mowing, a good turf may be obtained in a few months. From 

 the level of the verges (a a) to the bottom, is from six to 

 seven inches, with an inclination to the drain (c) of one inch in 

 a foot. The excavation completed, and the two sides of the bottom 

 made firm and smooth, and the drains set with stones, or bricks, 

 broken to the size generally used upon roads, laying a few larger 

 pieces on each side of the drain, where the depth will permit. It 

 is of importance that the stones or other material of which the sub- 

 stratum is composed, be perfectly free from earthy matter of every 

 description. I have, therefore, always found it necessary to pre- 

 pare these materials in a heap by themselves, and in removing 

 jhem to use a strong narrow-pronged fork. This operation 

 finished, and the surface made quite level and rolled three or four 

 times over, it is then covered about an inch thick with binding 

 gravel. To prevent as much as possible the gravel running down 

 and mixing with the substratum, the first barrow-load being spread. 

 t he second is put down on the top of the first, the third on the top 

 of the second, and so on till the whole is finished. In spreading 

 the gravel, it is carefully pushed forward, in a considerable body, 

 with the head of a wooden rake — teeth turned upwards. The 

 gravel being all on, and neatly levelled and raked with a short- 

 toothed wooden rake, to bring the pebbles to the top, the latter 

 ought to be equally distributed over every part of the walk. Two 

 or three boys, when they are well looked after, will do a good deal 

 of this kind of work in a day, and when neatly performed, adds 

 greatly to the beauty and firmness of the work, at very little addi- 

 tional expence. Nothing now remains but to give the whole ;. 

 good rolling, which ought to be done when the gravel is between 

 wet and dry, and the edges of the walk will be about half an inch 

 deep. 



