WHAT TO DO WITH A CITY YARD. 45 



a walk, from which to tend the borders. Instead of 

 carrying the clothes line to the fence, have a post at 

 each corner of the grass plot. 



Too much trouble for a few heads of lettuce. 

 Think so ? Try it and you'll be glad you did try it. 



Such an arrangement of a city yard would give 

 three borders, one 6x25, and two, each 4x48 = 534 

 square feet. If the wash '' is sent out," more space 

 could be gained by making the two side borders each 

 two feet wider. It would not be well to make them 

 wider than this, as six feet is about as far as you can 

 conveniently reach with a hoe or rake while standing 

 on the grass. Many city yards that I have seen in 

 New York are arranged in this way, except that there 

 is a stone-covered walk eighteen inches wide around 

 the grass plot, and leaving a very narrow border, 

 often only a foot and a half wide, next the fence or 

 three sides. Such a walk is a waste of room, for the 

 grass plot can be used for a walk at a wonderful gain 

 in comfort. No man has yet invented a carpet equal 

 to grass for feet weary of city side-walks. 



City yards are often used for flowers or for a few 

 vegetables, and sometimes with ill success. There 

 are two reasons for this. One is that the soil is usu- 

 ally poor and thin or stiff with clay. You must have 

 good soil, and this is neither very difficult nor ex- 

 pensive to obtain, as is explained elsewhere between 

 these covers. The other reason is the want of sun- 

 light. The tall houses on every side cut off the direct 

 sunlight for a portion of the day. This is not a fatal 

 objection, if the right kind of plants are selected. 

 There are plants that will flourish in partial shade, 

 and by using these very nearly as good results can 

 be obtained as in the best country garden. 



The first thing to consider is the aspect. Which is 

 the sunny end of the place, which the shady part ? 



