Practical Directions 263 



mtinicate occasionally with the ordinary ground drains, to let 

 olif the water that may accumulate in them. By laying the 

 groundwork of a walk thus high in the center and smoothly 

 sloping to a kind of drain at each side the utmost possible 

 dryness will be gained. 



Here and there, however, in the lowest parts of the walk 

 where water would collect on the surface, square holes or 

 catch basins cut deeper than the ordinary drains of the land, 

 to receive the water from grates placed on the surface, may 

 be formed, and partly filled with rubble or, what is better, 

 lined at the sides and bottom with flat tiles, bricks, or slates. 

 These lodges can communicate, by means of short branch 

 pipe or rubble drains, with the nearest common drain, the 

 small drains from the lodges being on such a level as to 

 receive the overflow merely, while the sand and sediment will 

 remain to be occasionally removed. 



A walk should have from nine to twelve inches of material 

 upon it, and a drive rather more. Only about three inches of 

 this on the surface need be of fine gravel. The rest may be 

 rubblestone, flints, coarse gravel, cinders, or any angular and 

 irregularly shaped substance that will remain porous and dry. 

 In applying this coating, the crown of the walk may be reduced 

 by putting a less quantity in the center than at the sides. 

 Walks of one yard wide can be raised about an inch in the 

 center when filled, and those of two yards wide about two 

 inches. For wider walks that are straight, in formal garden- 

 ing, a greater proportionate flatness is desirable, or they wfll 

 lose some of their dignity and effect. The three inches of 

 gravel can be evenly spread over the whole surface. 



Gravel is exceedingly variable in quality in different parts 

 of the country, and often requires some little artificial mixture 

 or preparation before it can be brought into a right state. 

 Gravel that contains much lime or clay, though excellent for 



