' CHAPTER XIII 



GRASS, GROUND, OR GRAVEL 



" Where a green, grassy turf is all I crave,'"* 



" A turf of dull, down-trodden grass 

 Brings summer to my heart.'* 



When people first take possession of the new suburban 

 garden, be it ever so small or empty, three things are 

 sure to be found in it ; even the builder bestows as much 

 as that upon them, though it may not be much to boast 

 of either in quantity or quality. The three things are 

 grass, ground, and gravel ; grass for the tiny lawn, 

 ground for the flower-beds, and gravel for the paths. 

 Now, how are these to be apportioned ? Some people 

 crave for nothing but flowers and vegetables, so they are 

 keenest about soil and ground ; others desire to have a 

 dry place always ready to walk about or sit in, cheap to 

 keep up, and handy for their dog-kennels and other 

 fancies. They are gravelites. Another set of folk 

 are only to be made happy by grass, and I am of that 

 number. 



One of the most extraordinary things in the world is 

 that so many garden-lovers who are kind enough to give 

 advice about suburban plots seldom have a good word for 

 grass. I always think it must be because they have never 

 had to do without it themselves. The love of green turf 

 is, I think, one of the most deeply rooted feelings of 

 human nature ; maybe it is a heritage from the days 



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