APPENDIX. 631 



mtistical in its effect, while it harmonizes with the color of the ground, 

 and the sofi tints of vegetation. A thirst after something new has 

 induced some persons, even in the interior, to substitute, at considera- 

 ble cost, thvj white gravel of the sea-shore for the common pit or 

 beach gravel. The change, we think, is, in point of taste, not a happy 

 <}ne. The strong white of this gravel, as the painters would say, 

 disturbs the tone of a simply beautiful landscape, whose prevailing tints 

 are those of the broad lawn and rich overshadowing trees ; and the 

 glare of these snowy white pebbles is not, we confess, so pleasing in 

 our eyes as the cooler and more quiet color of the slate or grey 

 gravel. Wlien we add to this, that these sea-side pebbles seldom ot 

 never pack or become firm, it would appear very evident that they aro 

 far less suitable for walks than the common material. The only situsu- 

 tion where this brilliant gravel seems to us perfectly in keeping, is in 

 the highly artificial garden of the ancient or geometric style, or in the 

 «ymmetrical terrace flower garden adjoining the house. In these 

 instances its striking appearance is in excellent keeping with the 

 expression of all the surrounding objects, and it renaers more forcible 

 and striking the highly artificial and artistical character of the scene, 

 and to such situations we would gladly see its use limited. 



The labor and expense of keeping the roads and walks clean, and 

 free from weeds, in a place of large extent (and some of our seats 

 have now several miles of private roads and walks within their own 

 limits), is a very considerable item of the annual outlay of a country 

 residence. At a recent visit to Blit-hewood, we saw in operation there 

 a very simple implement, invented by R. Donaldson, Esq., the intelli- 

 gent proprietor of that beautiful place, which promises to be of ina- 

 portant service as a labor-saving machine in cleaiung roads and walks. 

 In Fig. 20 is shown a sketch of this implement, in use. In general 

 appearance it is not unlike the frame of a wheelbarrow, except that 

 instead of the two legs it has two iron bars, reaching down to the 

 earth, and connecting with a transverse blade, about three inches 

 wide, which is set nearly parallel with the ground. The handles of 

 the implement are held by a workman, like those of the common 

 double-tailed plough, while the horse which draws it is led or ridden 

 hv a boy. With this implement, which is three and a half feet wide 



