GRAVEL. 



130 



GRAVEL. 



covered with dry sand while it is still 

 soft and warm, it will not be likely to 

 melt and fall off, which otherwise 

 would probably be the case. 



Grains of Paradise. The berries 

 of Cocculus mdicus. 



Grape Hyacinth. See Musca v ri. 



Grasses. There are but very few 

 ornamental kinds of grass that are 

 Avorth cultivating in a garden ; and 

 the most remarkable of these are the 

 Quaking Grass, BrXza media, and 

 the Feather Grass, Stipa pennata. 

 The Italian reed, Arundo Dbnax, 

 and its variety, the Ribbon Grass, 

 A. D. versicolor, are very orna- 

 mental ; but they are reeds rather 

 than grasses, though they belong to 

 the same natural family, Gramineas. 

 For a list of the grasses proper for 

 laying down a lawn, or grass plat, 

 and their qualities, see Lawn. 



Gravel is in universal use for 

 forming walks in Britain ; as sand is, 

 for want of gravel, on the Continent. 

 The grand desiderata in gravels are : 

 the quality of binding, or forming a 

 smooth compact body, not liable to be 

 disturbed by the feet in walking ; and 

 a good colour which shall harmonize 

 agreeably with the grass and trees, 

 &c, around it. It is a very common 

 practice in forming gravel-walks, to 

 use the gravel as it comes from the 

 pit, and, after it is laid down and 

 rolled, to cover it with sand taken 

 from the same gravel by screening or 

 sifting ; but unless this sand be of a 

 binding nature from its containing a 

 good deal of iron, it soon separates 

 from the rough gravel below, and is 

 removed by sweeping. Gravel, whe- 

 ther consisting of large or small stones, 

 or particles, if laid down when per- 

 fectly dry, very seldom can be made 

 to bind ; and, under such circum- 

 stances, it forms a rough, moving, 

 and consequently a most disagreeable 

 surface to walk on. A remedy for 

 evils of this kind, which is sometimes 



successful, is to strew over the walk 

 Roman cement in powder, then to 

 rake it so as to incorporate the pow- 

 derd cement with the surface of the 

 ground to the depth of two or three 

 inches, and immediately afterwards to 

 water it thoroughly, and roll it till it 

 becomes quite hard and smooth. This 

 is one of the best modes of forming a 

 permanent and agreeable gravel-walk 

 on a steep slope ; it is also an excel- 

 lent mode in small gardens, where 

 the object is to save labour in keeping, 

 and to prevent the growth of weeds. 

 Sea-shore gravel, which is generally 

 mixed with sand and shells, can only 

 be rendered firm by this process, or 

 by one which destroys its colour, viz. 

 mixing it with tar or gas liquor. 

 When so mixed, however, it forms a 

 very durable walk, though it is of a 

 dark and disagreeable colour. Next to 

 these modes, the best means is to 

 break a number of small stones, or 

 pebbles, into fragments; and if this 

 be done with about one-third of the 

 quantity of gravel to be used, and the 

 fragments intimately mixed with the 

 round pebbles, the gravel, when 

 thoroughly rolled with a very heavy 

 roller, will bind. The finest gravel in 

 the world is composed of the debris of 

 flints, such as the Kensington gravel ; 

 and this kind, which has hitherto been 

 found in only a few parts of England, 

 is sent to every part of the world. 



It must always be remembered, 

 that broken angular pieces of stone, 

 whether large or small, will bind 

 much better than round pebbles ; and 

 if with the broken stones be mixed a 

 ferruginous clay, which is generally of 

 a reddish, brownish, or yellowish co- 

 lour, and the whole be rolled imme- 

 diately after it is laid down, it will 

 harden by exposure to the atmosphere, 

 and will become quite firm and smooth. 

 If, however, the rolling should be ne- 

 glected for a few days, the particles of 

 rusty earthy matter will become bar- 



