April 10, 18?4. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
279 
a bellglass or in a small case, and with the surface clothed with 
Selaginella. 
A. palmatum (Moore).—A handsome species from the Andes 
of Peru, producing large graceful fronds from 1 to 2 feet long, 
triangular in form, tripinnate, the final segments nearly an inch 
across, semicircular or fan-shaped, the outer edge deeply lobed, 
of a fresh green colour, with a firm texture Of comparatively 
recent introduction, it is not yet so frequently seen in our 
collections as it will be, because it is so striking a plant that it 
must become a general favourite. 
A.Pacottei{ HorL).—A very charming little Fern of garden 
origin, producing dense tufts of tri or quadri-pinnate fronds 
from 4 to 8 inches long, with the segments thickly imbricated, 
of a deep green colour. This is a very distinct form, and much 
esteemed, but as yet little known. It is destined to become a 
general favourite, as the small stout-textured fronds will be 
extremely useful for buttonholes. Happily, it is most easily 
raised from spores, and the plants thus raised are well charac¬ 
teristic of what may be regarded as the typical form. 
A. rubellum (Moore).—A very charming little species, pro¬ 
ducing fronds from 6 to 9 inches high, deltoid in form and 
bipinnate, not very copiously divided; the segments cuneate, 
with the outer margin deeply lobed and toothed; when young 
of a deep reddish pink colour, gradually changing to light green, 
and in the former state it is extremely handsome. This is a 
little gem for chink's of the rockery or for growing in pans in a 
case. Native of the Andes of Bolivia. 
A. reniforme (Linn.).—In this we have a plant which is very 
similar to Trichomanes reniforme, producing erect, simple, 
reniform fronds from to 3 inches across, with a tough texture, 
borne on slender stipes. It should be in all collections and 
treated most lovingly. Under a handglass or in a case it does 
well, because it enjoys a damp atmosphere. When the latter is 
dry it is very liable to be infested with thrips, and these crea¬ 
tures quickly disfigure the fronds. It is found in Madeira and 
Teneriffe, while a variety of it crops up in Bourbon and 
Mauritius. 
A. Williamsii (Moore).—This is frequently called the Golden 
Maidenhair Fern on account of the young fronds being sparingly 
covered with a golden powder. It produces fronds from 1 to 
2 feet long, more or less deltoid, tri or quadri-pinnate; the 
ultimate segments semicircular or rhomboid, with entire edges of 
a pale green colour. It comes from Peru, and is a very vigorous 
grower, and very useful as a decorative Fern, while the fronds 
are desirable for cutting.—T. 
THE FORMATION AND KEEPING OF 
WALKS AND DRIVES. 
{Continued from page 25!).) 
Now as to keeping. If left for months without any attention 
the horses make a track along the centre, and between that and 
the wheel marks on each side a ridge is left which keeps the 
water from running to its proper channel at the sides, and so 
it soaks into the crust of the road to its material damage. The 
moveable gravel on the top must be constantly raked on to the 
parts where it is wearing, and when it gets too thin to cover 
them more must be added. A road well kept in this respect 
wears more equal, for the simple reason that there is no track 
to follow, and therefore the traffic will be confined to the centre. 
When a road gets worn into holes and thoroughly out of 
repair, perhaps the best thing to do with it would be to pick the 
whole up, rescue what stones there is in it, and add what more is 
required to make it substantial. This is best done by clearing a 
6 or 8 foot width, level the bottom, and then place the stones out 
of the next width on it, add sufficient fresh stone to bring it up 
to the required depth, and if there is any gravel worth saving 
toss it back on the top, level the bottom and proceed with the 
next width ; thus in a manner it may be called trenching. To 
mend an odd hole the stones should be taken out or loosened 
some little distance round. and the whole well rammed in to the 
proper level. When it is desired to strengthen an existing road 
run the pick diagonally across the roadway 0 or 8 inches, thus 
breaking the crust, when a coating of well-broken stone may be 
added and covered with fresh gravel. 
It is also important that the drains be seen to frequently. 
The gratings must be as far as possible kept clear of leaves, &c., 
and the cavities below them cleared of any grit that may accu¬ 
mulate in them before they get filled and begin running into the 
drain. 
Garden Walks .— These may be made of anything that is 
hard enough to keep a firm dry surface—brickbats, freestone, 
clinkers, &c., may be used, as there should always be sufficient 
good gravel on these to hide whatever is in the bottom. The 
same principle of forming a good sound foundation must be 
followed in making these. In pleasure grounds drainage should 
always be carefully provided, but in a kitchen garden with Box 
edging there is not so much need for drains, as the wet soaks 
into the soil. In making a walk close to, or near a mansion, the 
side of the walk next the wall should be kept up the same as if 
it was the centre of the walk, as shown at fig. 65, so that the 
water may not lodge there and cause dampness in the building. 
It is always necessary to have a drain to carry off the rain from 
the roof, and where there is a border between the walk and the 
mansion, as shown in our section, the drain for this purpose 
should be confined as far as possible within the border, so that 
it can be seen to in case of stoppage without breaking into the 
walk. These should always be laid with glazed eo:ket pipes 
with their joints properly cemented, and to provide for any 
defective joints it is a safe plan to have them below the level 
of the foundations. 
Young men sometimes find a little difficulty with regard 
to the level at the junction of two walks running in opposite 
Fig. 66. 
directions on sloping ground. Take the instance of such a case 
in a kitchen garden. Suppose the line a, fig. 66, represents the 
slope of the ground, or say the level of the edge of the wa’k 
A in our ground plan, fig 67. Drive a level peg exactly in the 
centre of your cross walk b, fig. 67, in a line with the edge A 
and level with it. Level from this peg for the edges, placing 
other pegs c c at each side. The same operation has to be 
gone through at the other end of the cross walk, when the 
levelling of its sides may be proceeded with. As will be seen 
by the two lines in the section, fig. 66, a representing the 
height of edges; A, fig. 67, and the dotted line b, the level of 
the cross walk. The latter is below the level of tbe former on 
the high side, and above it on the lower side at their junctions, 
having the edges of both walks levelled up to within a foot of 
the pegs c c. From these measure along each edge a distance 
equal to half the width of the walk, as at d d, and insert pegs 
exactly where tbe Box edging is to come. From these points 
stretch a line across the corner, as shown by the line E, and level 
the ground from the one point to tbe other, continuing it out to 
the peg c. This wall gradually verge the one level into the 
other. Now place the looped end of a piece of string over the 
pegs at D D from c, draw lines crossing at E, and from this 
centre carefully mark the quarter of a circle from D to D to 
form the corners, by drawing the sharp point of a peg along 
the level surface. Right-angle corners should always be so 
rounded off, for as a rule square corners get trodden down and 
become unsightly.—R. Ingeis. 
Migratory Birds. — I may mention the circumstance that the 
nightingale was heard many times in the district of Gravesend during 
the latter half of March. We can scarcely suppose that in the case of 
a migratory species some precede the rest, either coming alone or joining 
some other party of birds, and they have evidently not arrived yet a9 a 
body. I infer, therefore, the suggestion is right which I have somewhere 
read, that a few of these birds winter with us and are heard early in 
