II. ENCLOSING, LAYING OUT. 



there should be a bed of brick-bats, or of large flint, or 

 of other stones ; and upon the top of that bed, about six 

 inches of clean gravel. 



41. The next thing is to make efficient provision for 

 preventing the earth from the borders and plats, which 

 ought to be about four inches higher than the tops of the 

 walks, from tumbling into the walks when digging, 

 hoeing, and other operations take place 5 but especially 

 digging ; for it is impossible to dig the ground close to 

 a walk which has not a sufficient protection, without 

 bringing dirt upon the walk : all the shovelling in the 

 world will not get it off again clean, unless you go down 

 so deep as to take up part of the gravel with the dirt 5 

 so that, your walk must soon become a dirty-looking 

 affair, in whicr weeds and grass will be everlastingly 

 coming : or you must take away, little by little, the 

 gravel, by shovelling, till you have flung it pretty nearly 

 all upon the borders and plats, and thereby not only 

 destroyed your walk, but injured your cultivated land. 

 To prevent these very great troubles and injuries, you 

 must resolve to have an efficient protection for the walk ; 

 and this, I venture to assert, is to be obtained by no other 

 means than by the use of BOX. Many contrivances have 

 been resorted to for the purpose of avoiding this pretty 

 little tree, which, like all other really valuable things, 

 requires some little time ; some little patience, and great 

 attention, after you have got it. In the end, indeed, it is 

 a great deal cheaper than any thing else 5 but it requires 

 some attention and patience at first, and regular clipping 

 every year twice. I have seen, and have had, as an 

 edging (which ramparts of this sort are called), a little 



