88 Hints on Landscape Gardening 



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edges,: can be done by womdn, and consequently 

 need not be very expensive! It is possible that 

 the building refuse vv^hich I recommend as bind- 

 ing material encourages vegetation, especially 

 w^hen the roads are little used. The advantage, 

 how^ever, so much outw^eighs the disadvantage 

 that, lacking the clay gravel, I know no better 

 way for constructing a road. I have formerly at- 

 tempted, by a mixture of dried clay and coarse 

 river gravel, to manufacture the Windsor gravel 

 artificially, but the result is seldom satisfactory, 

 as the mixture easily goes wrong, and then does 

 not bind sufficiently. Later on I was lucky in 

 finding a gravel similar in color and other prop- 

 erties to the Windsor gravel. For economy one 

 can also make use of what we call here "Gov- 

 ernment roadways," — that is, clay with ordinary 

 gravel spread over it, — but with continuous wet 

 weather and in winter these roads are always bad. 



The gravel paths must in summer be swept 

 with brooms, and in wet weather must some- 

 times be rolled, and will then be always in good 

 condition, except, perhaps, on thawing after a 

 cold winter; but even after a very heavy shower 

 they are quite dry again. Only, I repeat, it is an 

 essential condition that sufficient outlet be fur- 

 nished for proper drainage of water. 



Grass drives and paths also, which can be made 

 by laying grass sods, must have on top of the 

 stone foundation half a foot of earth under the 

 grass and be protected with covered or open 

 drains to last well for riding ; they are then more 

 agreeable than paved roads. 



