i6 



Gardening for Amateurs 



garden is improved 

 by a broad walk, 

 whereas the small 

 area must of neces- 

 sity contain paths of 

 restricted width. A 

 minimum of 2 feet 

 should always be 

 recognised. 



Path Edgings. 

 Every gardener has 

 a liking for a certain 

 kind of edging ; some 

 like fancy tiles or 

 wood, while others 

 want a concrete or 

 brick edging. Many 

 fringe the pathways 

 with various types 

 of plants ; a few 

 demand a verge of 

 grass or Box, and 

 so on, but if the 

 finished walk is in 

 harmony with its 

 surroundings little 

 more need be said. 

 Lumps of stone or 

 granite of irregular 

 shape are now 

 common, and a 

 choice may be 

 made from such 

 plants as Box, 

 Thrift, Saxifrages, 

 Grass, Ivy, Coto- 

 neaster micro- 

 phylla, London 

 Pride, and others 

 of dwarf-growth. 

 Some edgings need 

 more care than 

 others ; but if it be 

 remembered that 

 the path is incom- 

 plete without a 

 good, well-tended 

 verge, no want in 

 that respect will be 

 allowed to spoil 

 the effect. Success 

 with tile edgings 

 depends on the 



A path bordered by Thyme. 



Rockery edge to a walk adds greatly to its 

 attractiveness. 



way in which they 

 are laid; the best 

 plan is to lay a level 

 foundation of bricks 

 or flat stones end to 

 end, and to rest the 

 tiles on this, packing 

 them tightly in posi- 

 tion by the material 

 filled in on either 

 side. 



Weed Killers. - 

 When the upper layer 

 is solid it is also 

 weed-proof, and no 

 further trouble in 

 that respect need be 

 feared. Paths having 

 a loose surface should 

 be hoed as often as 

 possible in order to 

 check the growth of 

 weeds, but when the 

 total area of paths 

 amounts to a large 

 sur ace, weed- 

 killers of some 

 kind are almost 

 a necessity. Salt 

 applied in solution 

 or as a solid acts 

 deleteriously on all 

 vegetable growth, 

 and a mixture of 

 equal parts of 

 ground lime and 

 sulphur is also 

 effective, but apt 

 to disfigure the 

 surface. Dilute 

 vitriol is a good 

 weed - killer, and 

 so are solutions of 

 caustic soda and 

 carbolic. Arsenical 

 solutions are re- 

 cognised as most 

 speedily effective, 

 and a simple one 

 may be made as 

 follows: Place Jib. 

 of white arsenic 

 and a like amount 



