April.] FLOWER GARDEN. 359 



for taking up before November. It is increased by offsets from the 

 roots, which are to be treated as those of the tuberose. In order 

 to have a succession of the flowers, you may in the middle states 

 plant some of their roots in the open ground, once a week, from the 

 twentieth of April to the middle of June. And if the roots are 

 strong and are preserved in saw dust or the like, they will keep 

 good and blow well, even when planted at that late period. How- 

 ever, the roots will not be so strong the ensuing season, nor the 

 increase so numerous, as if they had been planted in due time. 



These can be made to flower during any of the winter months, 

 by planting some of the strongest bulbs, which were taken up in 

 November and kept dry till the time of planting, in pots of light 

 good earth, and plunging them into the bark-pit in the hot-house, 

 or into a good hot-bed: in a month or five weeks after, or sooner, 

 if the heat be regular and brisk, they will produce their very ad- 

 mirable flowers. 



Geraniums, Myrtles, Balm of Gilead, S,-c. 



For the methods of cultivating the above, and other green-house 

 plants, see the article green-house, in this month, and in March. 



Gravel Walks. 



New gravel walks may be made any time this month; in the making 

 of which, be very particular in the choice of good and suitable 

 gravel; as to colour, you must be governed by fancy and conve- 

 nience, but as to quality, it should be coarse and lively, containing 

 a due proportion of light sandy loam, to make it bind close and 

 firm at all seasons; but not so redundant in loam or clay, as to stick 

 to the feet in wet weather, nor so sandy, as to become open and 

 loose in dry weather. As to the dimensions and distribution of 

 gravel walks, see page 67, &c. Agreeably to the designs there 

 laid down, or to any other fancy of your own, stake out the width 

 of the walk, and proceed to level the boundary on each side, cor- 

 responding to the adjacent ground, and form the cavity of the walk 

 for the reception of the gravel, observing that the whole space to 

 make a permanent and good walk, should be dug ten or twelve 

 inches deep, to allow for a proper depth of gravel, both to prevent 

 weeds rising from the ground below, and worms from casting up 

 the earth therefrom; and also to allow a proper depth for turning 

 the gravel occasionally, when the surface becomes foul: the earth 

 dug out from the cavity of the walk, may be used to raise and level 

 any hollow parts on each side, or contiguously situated, which, 

 with the edgings, if of box, should always be completed before you 

 begin to lay the gravel. 



The walks being thus laid out, you may first lay any stony rub- 

 bish, such as brick-bats, small stones, Sec. for several inches deep 

 in the bottom, which will greatly obstruct worm-casts, drain off 

 any extra moisture, and thereby prevent the surface from becoming 

 mossy or foul: the proper gravel is then to be laid on six 01 eight 



