232 SORTING GRAYEL. 





tance, will suffice. To have no unnecessary car- 

 riage, the gravel at the pit or river side must un- 

 dergo one sifting with a search one inch between 

 the wires disposing of all large pebbles. Of stuff 

 in this state walks are commonly made, and the 

 result is evil continually. The small sand is a 

 seedling bed for all manner of weeds, and the 

 coarser part compacted with it renders hoeing 

 almost impractible; nor is the work well over till 

 in showery weather there is need to begin it again. 

 Thus the coarse and fine work to each other's hands, 

 the one giving birth to weeds and the other pro- 

 tecting them. Divide and govern dissolve the 

 compact and the conquest is easy. Use a quarter- 

 inch search for second sifting, and apply the coarse 

 to one part of the walks and the fine to another. 

 The coarse, it is true, does not bind ; but that is 

 the beauty of it: it will not grow one weed for 

 many years. No feet are idle on such a walk : 

 every one who comes into the garden does some 

 good; the gravel is continually shuffled about, and 

 an immense deal of work is saved to the hoe. For 

 dryness it is admirable a property which makes 

 the roughness a pleasure, as every one feels in walk- 

 ing on the sea-beach, though much rougher and 

 not more dry. And now for the small sort, which 

 is almost pure sand, and in most cases will be three 

 to one of the gravel : it binds and grows weeds ; 

 but the Dutch hoe pares it as easily as moss is 

 scraped from a tree. For the wheels of a little 

 coach such walks have the smoothness of marble ; 



