MAKING THE PLAN 195 



bats, unless the walk is upon loose and leachy 

 land. In back yards, it is often best not to have 

 any well -denned walk. A ramble across the sod 

 may be as good. For a back walk, over which 

 deliverymen are to travel, one of the very best 

 means is to sink a foot -wide plank into the land 

 on a level with the surface of the sod; and it is 

 not necessary that the walk be perfectly straight. 

 These walks do not interfere with the work of the 

 lawn mower, and they take care of themselves. 

 When the plank rots, at the expiration of five 

 to ten years, the plank is taken up and another 



173. Draining the gutter. 



one dropped in its place. This ordinarily makes 

 the best kind of a walk alongside a rear border. 



MAKING THE PLAN. It is often desirable to have 

 a definite plan on paper for the location of the 

 leading features of the place. These features are 

 the residence, the out -houses, the walks and 

 drives, the border planting, flower-garden, vege- 

 table garden and fruit garden. It should not be 

 expected that the map plan can be followed in 

 every detail, but it will serve as a general guide; 

 and if it is made upon a large enough scale, the 

 different kinds of plants can be located in their 



