18 



only of sand and rounded pebbles, should never be used. No amount 

 o f pressure will render it firm, and it is the most disagreeable material 

 to walk upon. The best gravel is that to be found in banks composed 

 of pebbles mixed with reddish clay, and the stones must be small. No 

 detail in road-making is of so much importance as this. If a wagon 

 wheel or the foot of a horse press on one extremity of a stone the other 

 end of it will probably be slightly raised, allowing small particles of 

 sand to fall into the crevice when the stone is loosened, and will roll 

 on the surface ; hence the necessity of using only very finely divided 

 stones on top, so that they will be smaller than the pressing point, and 

 not become deranged from leverage or compound action. 



Where stone can not be conveniently obtained the roadbed may be 

 filled with refuse matters of many kinds, such as coal ashes, clinkers 

 from furnaces, and shells. Oyster shells are plentiful in many places 

 near the seaboard, and form an admirable road ; but the permanency 

 as well as the efficiency of these materials in a roadbed will depend al- 

 together upon the care of surfacing with proper gravel. Where it is 

 impracticable to procure or deemed inexpedient to use any of the fore- 

 going materials, an earth road may be rendered very serviceable by 

 proper attention to the leading principle ; that is, to keep it dry. In 

 this case, instead of excavating the road bed, slight excavations should 

 be made at the sides and the material spread over the center : and that 

 surface water may pass to the sides more rapidly and thoroughly a 

 greater convexity may be given to the curve. In some sections of the 

 country good roads are kept up in this manner, but they are carefully 

 repaired whenever necessary, and all ruts and tracks are filled up as soon 

 as they are formed. The same general principles apply to the formation 

 of walks and footpaths. The depth of material, however, need not ex- 

 ceed a few inches. It is certain that much unnecessary expense is fre- 

 quently laid out upon mere foot-paths. A porous, gravelly, or sandy 

 soil is in itself a good walk if properly shaped. Such walks admit of 

 greater convexity than carriage roads, which is equivalent to a saving 

 of material. Walks should be well filled up. There is no more dis- 

 agreeable object, or one that conveys so meager an expression, as deep, 

 raw edgings to a walk, looking as if they had been trimmed with a 

 plow. Walks in this condition may be serviceable as water courses, 

 but they are not comfortable footpaths. 



FORMATION AND MANAGEMENT OF LAWNS. 



A fine lawn is the most beautiful of external ornaments. Soft, vel- 

 vety, elastic turf, smoothly shorn and of fine color, is always pleasing, 

 but not always attained. Formerly the emerald lawns of European 

 pleasure grounds were considered to be unequaled, and it was thought 

 that nothing approaching to their beauty could be realized in this 

 climate of scorching sun and summer droughts; but it has been demon- 

 strated beyond any doubt that lawns may be produced and 

 $ gne $ those U> be fouu4 \u any country, 



