How to manage a Garden 



or the scythe? Are they easy to walk upon for old and 

 young ; those with tender and those with sound feet ? Do 

 they not more quickly destroy the boots ? These things 

 must be considered. If a strong liking is entertained for 

 this form of walk, and these objections can be overruled, 

 then by all means have a loose gravel walk. In this case it 

 is essential that the gravel be clean, that there lurks no 

 sand among it, and that the drainage is sufficiently sound. 

 To look well, all the gravel should be able to be passed 

 through an inch sieve, but very little should be small 

 enough to pass the meshes of a quarter-inch one. 



Ashes, pure and simple, are never used for the making 

 of a walk in any part of the grounds where a good walk is 

 really needed, and since it is only employed in cases where 

 the need for a good walk is not sufficient to warrant much 

 expense, it need not here engage our attention. We will 

 pass on to the consideration of the merits of asphalt and 

 concrete walks. There is undoubtedly a great prejudice 

 against these walks, mainly on account of their artificiality 

 as it is termed. All roads are artificial, only with a longer 

 acquaintance with macadamised roads we fail to so clearly 

 notice the fact. The artificiality itself should not militate 

 against the adoption of asphalt and concrete walks if they 

 are useful, and do not too glaringly destroy the naturalness 

 of the scenery. In some public parks which I could men- 

 tion, such walks having been well formed are thoroughly 

 appreciated, since they are always clean and dry even im- 

 mediately after a shower, and by such tests should the 

 value of a path be judged. When there is a deep slope it 

 is well-nigh absolutely essential that such a form of walk 



should exist ; for during a heavy storm the gravel will be 

 86 



