i6o The Pleasure, ^r [[Man 



But this ridging of gravel-walks, in winter, is the moll 

 ill looking, and unaecelTary contrivance, that ever was 

 introduced into a garden, though a common cullom 

 smong gardeners. There is, I think, in this pra<flice, 

 fomething very contrary to reafon ; the walks are thereby 

 rendered altogether ufelefs, in every winter feafon ; when, 

 in fome gardens, it muft certainly be very incommodious, 

 both to the proprietor and to the gardener himfelf ; and ia 

 all gardens it has a defolate and confufed appearance. 

 The reafon fome give for this abfurd cullom is, that it 

 prevents the growth of weeds; but it has rather the con- 

 trary eiFe<5l ; fo that I Ihould advife that all gravel- walks 

 might remain ahvays in their proper form, for conftaat 

 ufe, except juft turning them in fpring, to deftroy the 

 numerous fmall weeds and mofs often appearing on the 

 furface, and to give the walks a frelh and lively appear- 

 ance. 



However, where ridging up the walks in winter has beea 

 pradifed, let the ridges be levelled down fome time this- 

 anonth. 



Let this work be done in dry days. 



In turning, or laying down gravel-walks, either old or 

 new, the work Ihould be done to the greateft exadnefsf 

 the walks being a principal part of the garden. 



Gravel-walks Ihould be made higheft in the middle j 

 but the rife Ihould be eafy, and fhould come on graduall)r 

 from both fides, finilhing them off fomewhat rounding j^ 

 being careful not to make them too high, or of a fudden 

 rife in the middle ; for a walk made in that form is aneafy 

 to walk upon, and is alio difagreeable to th& eye. A 

 gravel-walk of twelve feet wide, fliould have a rife of 

 about three or four inches in the middle ; that is, the 

 middle Ihould rife gradually fo much higher than the fides.^ 

 The fame rife Ihould be allowed in proportion to the widch 

 of every gravel-walk; one of twenty-four feet wide, 

 ihould not have more than fix inches rife in the middle ;. 

 and a walk of fix f^n v^ide, fhould not have more rife 

 than an inch and an half or two inches ; for the method is,, 

 that for every foot the waik is wide, allow from about a 

 quarrer to h-"if an inch rife in the middle; this will be 

 fufficient both to give it the requifite gradual fwell, and 

 throw off wet ; foi the rife Ihould never be more than juft 

 perceptible ; and if the walk exceeds twenty-four or thirty 



feet. 



