58 GARDENING DIFFICULTIES SOLVED 



been laid on the heavy clay subsoil without proper (if any) drainage, 

 has been neglected for many months. As I am only a tenant here 

 for a short period, to take up the turf, drain the soil, and relay are 

 out of the question. 2, what is the enclosed weed ? and how can I 

 eradicate it from the grass ? W. J. P., Hornsey. 



A. 1, the best thing you can do is to put on a good dressing of 

 gritty soil, such as road drift, during the autumn and winter months. 

 Two dressings will be sufficient. 2, the weed you enclose is a Butter- 

 cup (Ranunculus), and the best way of getting rid of it is to put a few 

 drops of oil of vitriol in the centre of each plant, or pull up every 

 one, and as their habit is spreading this is a difficult matter. The 

 vitriol is poisonous, and gloves should be worn when using the 

 liquid. The latter may be dropped on the plants from a notched 

 stick. 



Time to Apply Basic Slag 



Q. When is the best time to apply basic slag and how much 

 should be given ? Ignorant, Shrewsbury. 



A. This is a slow acting manure, rich in phosphates. It should 

 be applied in the autumn, since it is some time before it is rendered 

 available as plant food. The finer basic slag is ground the more valu- 

 able will it prove as a manure. It is not so valuable as superphos- 

 phate for vegetables, but it is a most suitable manure for lawns. 



Making Brick Paths 



Q. I should very much like to alter the paths in my garden and 

 make them brick paved. Would it be possible for me to do it 

 myself 1 Are new or old bricks to be used ? Is mortar or cement of 

 any kind required ? M. I. B., Surrey. 



A. It is necessary to have a perfectly level foundation for laying 

 bricks to form a path, and they must be cemented or concreted 

 down, and the cracks where they join filled with the same substance. 

 There should be a layer of cinders beneath the bricks some 2 or 3 

 inches thick to keep the path dry. The only plan for you to follow 

 would be to find a working bricklayer, request him to supply you 

 with good hard red bricks and the necessary binding material, and 

 pay him a trifle for showing you how to do the work yourself. Now 

 is a good time for the operation before frosts come. You could place 

 the bricks say one third or half an inch apart, fill the cracks with 

 sandy soil and put Violet Cress, Mentha and other tiny plants 

 there. 



