CHAP. VI.] BOX-EDGINGS. 121 



Grass walks were formerly common in kitchen- 

 gardens, but they are manifestly unsuitable, 

 being; more injured than any others by the 

 wheelbarrow, and being quite unfit to walk on 

 in wet weather. 



When gravel walks want renovating, the 

 gravel should be loosened with a pick, turned 

 over, raked, and firmly rolled, adding a coating 

 of fresh gravel wherever it may be found neces- 

 sary. Weeds may be prevented from growing 

 on gravel walks by watering the walks with 

 salt and water. The salt will also kill the 

 weeds already there, and, if these are large, 

 they should, of course, be hoed up and raked 

 off. Great care is, however, nece-sarv to pre- 

 vent the salt and water from touching- the box- 

 edgings, which it is very apt to do, particularly 

 if the walk be raised in the centre, as is some- 

 times the case, though it is not generally ad- 

 visable to make it so, as the w r ater which drains 

 off the centre forms a soft part on each side. 

 AYhen salt and water is suffered to drain to the 

 box-edging;, it kills the leaves on the lower part 

 of the plant, and gives the edging a very bare 

 and miserable appearance. 



Box-edgings are better than any others for 

 gravel walks. They are generally planted in 

 March or April. A garden line being first 

 drawn tightly along the earth bordering the 

 walk, a shallow trench is then opened close to 

 the gravel, and the earth from it thrown on the 

 bed. The box is pulled into separate plants, 

 and the branches and roots of each trimmed, till 

 all the plants are very nearly of the same size. 

 The plants are then put into the trench, with 



