WALK. 



to liave the ground properly prepared by fuitable levelling, 

 treading, and raking, as well as other means, in the view 

 of making the furfaces perfeftly firm and even for the pur- 

 pofe. In making walks of fmall and moderate extents, the 

 common praftice is then to have them laid with turf cut 

 from fome neighbouring wafte-ground, or other place, beat- 

 ing it well down at the time, fo as to form a clofe, fmooth, 

 even furface. But where the extents of them are very con- 

 fiderable, it is moftly found more convenient and proper to 

 have the fward formed by the fowing of them with proper 

 grafs-feeds at fuitable feafons, in doing which, they fliould 

 be fown in rather a thick and regular manner, and the feed 

 be raked into the earth in an even way, the furfaces being 

 afterwards, when quite dry, rolled regularly with a mode- 

 rately heavy roller, in order to render their upper parts 

 level, and to clofe the earth or mould well over the feeds. 

 See Turfing. 



The walks of pleafure-grounds and gardens have a rela- 

 tion to utility as well as ornament. In the former, they 

 are for the mod part more fpacious and extenfive than the 

 neceffary ones in thofe of the common latter kinds, being 

 ufually made in conformity with the other decorative com- 

 partments, fo as to form and conftitute variety in the com- 

 pofition of the general plan and defign, and for conne<Eling 

 with them, and the pleafure of walking through them, to 

 enjoy the view and beauty of their differently varied arrange- 

 ments, and the diverfified growths of their refpeftive plants, 

 trees, fhrubs, flowers, and fruits, as well as any thing elfe 

 that may be curious. 



In the latter, or gardens, they are neceffary as forming 

 the communication between the different parts, and for 

 dividing the ground into fuitable portions, as may be need- 

 ful in any fort of culture, as well as for the purpofe of oc- 

 cafional walking on for pleafure, and by way of ornament. 



In general, all thofe walks of the garden, whether of the 

 kitchen or other kinds, may be faid to be ufeful, which are 

 required for the feparation of the ground into quarters, 

 beds, and borders, as well as other llmilar parts ; and 

 which ferve to conneA and lead to the different parts, or 

 from one to another crofs-wife ; and which extend round 

 them at the diflancc of a proper border from the boundary 

 fence. And where kitchen-gardens and pleafure-grounds 

 are connefted, the principal walks fhould be of a more 

 capacious nature, having handfomc borders on the fides, 

 fuch borders being dellincd for fmall efculent plants, as well 

 as thofe of the flower and ornamental kind. 



Walks which are very much wheeled and wrought jUpon 

 in kitchen-gardens fhould always be made of fuch firm folid 

 materials as the above ; but where they cannot be had, 

 good road-fluff, that is, the fcrapings of them, may be 

 employed. Grafs-walks are never to be had recourfe to 

 in thefe cafes. 



The walks in the principal divifions, or more confpicuous 

 parts of pleafure-grounds, fhould in general be of larger 

 dimenfions, and more elegantly formed, than thofe of the 

 orditiary kitchen-garden, thofe near the refidence being often 

 of very confiderable widtli, as already noticed. They fliould 

 moftly be laid with fome of the above forts of hard mate- 

 rials, though, in fome cafes, large turf-walks are in ufe in 

 particular parts. 



The walks in pleafure-grounds are ufually varied as 

 much as pofTible, running in winding irregular direftions, and 

 occafional varying flraight lines, as may be niofl fuitable to 

 the nature, plan, and quality of the grounds ; and the fame 

 18 the cafe in large gardens ; but in thofe of the fmaller fort, 

 they are commonly made in fomewhat ftraight and crofs 

 4ireftion3. In moft large pleafure-grounds a large walk it 



Vol. XXXVII. 



run fomewhat parallel to the main refidence, extending to the 

 interior of them and the gardens and other parts, having 

 other walks connefting with it, with fhrubberies, clumps, 

 and flower-borders ; but in fome others, the chief walks go 

 off to the right and left towards the fides, leaving the 

 middle parts in lawns with fhrubberies, flower-borders, and 

 plantations of other kinds, or lead to fome fide plantation 

 of a fhady nature, as private walks, or are carried forward 

 in an eafy, winding, natural manner through the whole 

 extent of the grounds and plantations in different turnings 

 to other more extenfive grounds of the nature of parks, &c. 

 at a greater diftance ; there being other fimilar fmaller 

 walks within the confines of the pleafure-grounds, branching 

 off and diverging in a varied irregular manner to other in- 

 ternal parts of the fhady kind, as thofe of groves, thickets, 

 and fhrubberies, as well as to thofe of the more open and 

 airy fort, as large grafs divifions, detached planted clumps, 

 and other kinds, in various bendings for the purpofe of ex- 

 hibiting various views of the different fhrubby compartments, 

 trees, plantations, flower-borders, grafs lawns, plots of 

 water, and other curious and interefling rural ornaments. 

 However, on the whole, the beft and moft modern modes 

 of laying out the walks of pleafure-grounds and gardens, 

 are thofe which moft perfectly accord with the nature and 

 fituations of them, and which are the moft remote from any 

 fort of regularity and formality in their defigns. 



In ornamented grounds, Mr. London thinks, that walks 

 have partly one of the effefts of buildings, which is that 

 of giving force and fpirit to the fcenes of verdure and cul- 

 tivation. Their direftions, it is fuppofed, fliould be dic- 

 tated by their propriety and convenience, and their width 

 by the utility of them. In rcfpeft to their ornamental 

 effefts, they chiefly depend upon their margins, their fur- 

 faces, and the colour of the materials from which they are 

 formed. In avowedly artificial fituations, the firft fhould 

 be parallel to each other, and properly limited ; but where 

 the contrary is the cafe, they fliould be irregular in their 

 direftions as well as compofitions, as in natural pleafure- 

 grounds, pafture-ficlds, paiks, forefts, dingles, 3cc. In 

 loofe fcattered bufliy lawns with trees, the fwecps and turns 

 of the walks fliould, in a comparative degree, be abrupt, the 

 breadths being varied to a great extent, groups of fhrubs, 

 or fingle trees, frequently dividing them, and reducing their 

 widths to narrow courfee which are nearly in the fame direc- 

 tion, by which they fliortly unite again in the fame track, 

 and affume their former breadths. Woody banks and 

 commons, it is faid, abound with walks of this nature. In 

 thickets and woods, whether of natural trees and under- 

 growths, or of exotics, as in complete fhrubberies, the 

 edges of the walks or paths fhould be wholly annihilated 

 on both fides, and be bounded only by the irregularity of 

 the lowcft growths. Many places, as thofe of Foxly and 

 Dunglafs, afford beauties in full illuftration, it is fuppofed, 

 of the propriety of thefe principles. 



In fliort, the formal, ftiff, liarfh edges of made walks, it is 

 thought, conftitute one of the moll ftriking deformities in 

 rural works of this kind. 



Ill cafes where grafs-walks arc intended, they fliould com- 

 monly be of fome extent in refpcft to width, as narrow 

 trifling flips have a bad efltft, as already feen. In lar^e 

 pleafure-grounds they fliould be fufliciently fpacious to fuit 

 their different extents ; and in thofe of the fmaller kinds, 

 as well as in gardens, they fhould feldoni have lefs breadths 

 than eight, ten, or twelve feet. Their fituations and direc- 

 tions may be various, according to the nature and pofilions 

 of the grounds ; as fome near the refidence for ornament 

 and fummer-walking upon in dry feafons ; others more 

 4 O difVsnt, 



