GARDEN PATHS 131 



The best material is the thin flaggy micaceous sand- 

 stone, found in the rocks of the coal measure and mill- 

 stone grit age, especially in the latter and the lower coal 

 measures. It cuts into nice square or rectangular pieces, 

 \ in. to 2 ins. thick, the best for the purpose being about 

 i in. thick. Edging stones should be laid after a part 

 of the second layer of the path (small rubble) has been 

 thrown in. They should be sunk so that the tops will 

 be two inches above the surface of the path, and made 

 firm with soil on the border side and small rubble on the 

 path side. It is important to get the edging stones the 

 same height on both sides of the path throughout its 

 length. 



Sometimes edging stones are laid after the path has 

 been made ; the edges are then tidied up by adding a 

 little fresh ash or gravel, and rolling well. Asphalt or 

 concrete paths cannot well be made without an edging, 

 so it should be in place before the men are sent for. 



If sandstone is not available, then thin flaggy lime- 

 stone may be used. It is laid in a similar manner to 

 sandstone. 



Edging tiles are next best. Bright red ones are unsuit- 

 able and so are those with moulded fancy tops. The 

 best are the brown glazed plain topped tiles, made, I 

 understand, of some kind of fire-clay. They can only 

 be let into the ground a few inches, being narrower than 

 ordinary edging stones. 



After these comes wood. Wood is used in strips of 

 varying length, which are sunk to the depth of several 

 inches, leaving their tops 2 ins. above the surface of the 

 path. It is most important to give them three coats of 

 paint all over, otherwise they will not last. Boarding 

 f in. thick is suitable. 



And now we come to bricks. Many amateurs would 

 like to use these for edging, but usually they are quite 

 unsuitable. There is something so very bald about a 

 brick edging, it is inartistic, and often has a vulgar appear- 

 ance. There are two ways of laying them, both of which 



