GARDEN PATHS 129 



asphalters to lay them, and they should not be laid any- 

 where where they can be dispensed with. 



Concrete and cement paths are also more serviceable 

 than beautiful. They are extremely hard, and last for 

 years. 



Grass Paths : Grass paths are the prettiest of all if 

 the grass is kept well mown, but they are not at all ser- 

 viceable. A single day's work may spoil them. If 

 possible the soil should be taken out to the depth of 3 ft. 

 and i ft. of rubble put in. Fill up with soil and lay the 

 turf on it. Beat it firm. Barrows cannot be wheeled 

 on grass paths in wet weather, and much treading on 

 them in the winter will spoil them. If the barrow is left 

 standing on them in wet weather it will make holes, and 

 these and treading marks ruin the path. But in the 

 summer they are a joy, and the green of the grass har- 

 monises wonderfully with the flowers in the borders on 

 both sides of it. 



Flagged Paths : In Chapter X, I referred to the use of 

 flagged paths in the rock-garden. They are not difficult to 

 make, but they require just a little care and patience. 



The best materials are the thin flaggy limestones and 

 sandstones found wherever carboniferous rocks occur. 

 These flaggy stones are rough, angular, and irregular in 

 shape and are far different from the flaggy sandstones used 

 for edging purposes. The size of the stones used should 

 depend on the size of the path and may be anything 

 from 9 ins. to 2^ ft. long. Most of them are easily broken 

 by three or four light blows with a coal hammer in the 

 direction of the desired fracture. 



The width of flagged paths may vary from 1-4 ft. 

 They are specially suitable for the rock-garden, where 

 narrow paths are permissible. 



The construction of a flagged path is fairly simple. 

 The soil is dug out to the depth of 6 ins., and the founda- 

 tion beaten firm with the back of the spade. Three or 

 4 ins. of soil are then replaced and the blocks, which will 

 be from 1-3 ins. thick, laid on it. In the case of a wide 



K 



