ARTIFICIAL EDGINGS 235 



Wood Edgings — The last form of artificial 

 edging that I shall notice is the board edging. 

 It has its usefulness as a temporary expedient 

 when we wish to make our gravel paths before 

 we lay the permanent edging, and it is some- 

 times used in kitchen gardens. Its appearance 

 is never good, and the presence of wood in the 

 soil is at all times to be condemned, because 

 it encourages the growth of fungous life. 



Unprepared wood is hardly good for more 

 than two seasons. If required to last longer 

 it must be dressed with a tar solution or creo- 

 soted. 



The best way to secure wood edgings is to 

 nail them to stout square pegs driven firmly 

 into the soil. 



In putting down edgings of every kind they 

 should never be allowed to stand to a greater 

 height out of ground than is necessary to form 

 a barrier against rolling earth clods. 



