44 



MV HANDKERCHIEF GARDEN. 



covered six inches deep. It is uncovered early in the 

 spring, and is ready to cut in a very few weeks. 



CHAPTER VIII. 



OJBAT TO DO UJITf) A (fITY YARD. 



IVEN a city lot and we have an 

 area of 25x100. The house occu- 

 pies usually about 40 of the 100 

 feet, leaving an open space in the 

 rear of 25x60. Here the weekly 

 wash must dry, and for this pur- 

 pose there must be grass. The 

 maid, when in the garden hanging out the clothes, 

 would be heavy of foot on lettuce or roses, and so it 

 usually happens the back yard produces nothing but 

 grass. The usual plan is to stretch the lines across 

 the yard from the fence, and, if the wash is large, the 

 whole of the line is occupied close up to the fences 

 on each side. This makes even a narrow border 

 round the edge of the yard almost useless, and neither 

 flowers nor vegetables are ever attempted. A better 

 way would be to measure off the first six feet of the 

 yard, next the house, for the whole width, and lay it 

 with brick or stone for a walk or out-door sitting- 

 room for summer evenings. Then lay off a space for 

 grass in the center 17x48 feet. This would leave a 

 border four feet wide on each side, and a border six 

 feet wide at the opposite end from the house. The 

 space in the center would be for the use of the maid 

 on Monday, and for a pleasant play-ground for the 

 children on other davs. It would be also a lawn and 



