264 Landscape Gardening 



binding, will become very dirty in wet weather, and break 

 up considerably after frost. It wants the addition of some 

 stronger, drier, and more sandy sort. Sea gravel, again, 

 (unless it be the muddy sediment deposited on the shores of 

 some great tidal rivers and containing a large proportion of 

 half-decomposed shells which help to bind it firmly but also 

 to make it cloggy after being frozen) will never bind at all 

 without the help of lime or pulverized clay, or a strong loam 

 reduced to a powdery state while dry and added in the pro- 

 portion of about one-fifth or one-sixth. Such a mixture will, 

 when it becomes fully set, form one of the best possible sur- 

 faces for a walk, and will never be too wet. 



As the perfection of a walk consists in smoothness and 

 freedom from rough stones, wliich would also kick up in dry 

 weather and disturb the surface, either a thin upper coating 

 of gravel should be finely screened, or the whole surface may 

 be very thoroughly raked, so as to get off all but the very 

 smallest gravel. Road scrapings, where they are tolerably 

 free from dirt, will also, if sparingly applied, make a very 

 even and excellent surface to a walk when gravel is scarce or 

 not of a good binding nature. 



The color of gravel must of course vary according to what 

 can be obtained in any district. Perhaps the best color, 

 where there is any choice, is the full, deep, reddish yellow so 

 common around London. Whitish gravels are usually too 

 conspicuous and cold looking. There is a greater richness 

 and warmth in the appearance of the yellower kinds. 



What very much affects the character of walks is the way 

 in which their edgings are laid. These should be quite 

 smooth, thoroughly flat along the margins, and, for some part 

 of their width at least, precisely on the same level at both 

 sides and very well defined though not more than half an 

 inch above the level of the side of the walk. The edges ought 



