THE AMATEUR S FLOWER GARDEN. 
267 
ping at the edge, as if it were necessary to construct a gutter 
of mud on each side of a walk, deserves to hear an opinion 
of his procedure that will make him tingle from head to foot 
with shame. The jobbing gardener is a master of this chop- 
down-gutter-forming business, and will always be ready to 
advise the employment of gravel to fill up the trench that 
should never have been made. 
It may be well to add a word upon the employment of 
Spergula , or more properly of Arenaria ccespitosa , for lawns. 
A “spergula lawn ” in good condition is one of the loveliest 
embellishments of a garden that can be conceived. We have 
seen only three that were good enough for agreeable remem¬ 
brance. * The whole truth of the matter may be summed 
up in a sentence: A spergula lawn demands constant atten¬ 
tion, and is of necessity a troublesome thing to form in the 
first instance, and to manage afterwards. Therefore, for 
what may be termed “ general usefulness ” we cannot recom¬ 
mend the employment of spergula. However, any of our 
readers who are inclined to indulge in this unwonted luxury 
need not be deterred through supposing there is any mystery 
at the bottom of success; it is a question of time and atten¬ 
tion, and whenever these are withheld the spergula lawn will 
go to ruin. Prepare the ground well, and plant the tufts in 
September and October, or in March and April. Frequently 
roll the ground, and never cease to pull out weeds, for these 
are the chief enemies of spergula. One season’s neglect of 
weeding will ruin a spergula lawn, and one week’s neglect at 
a time of year when weeds grow freely will result in con¬ 
siderable damage. As for worms, which occasionally injure 
spergula turf by their casts, the roller will sufficiently repair 
the damage; but if any nostrum is required to reduce their 
number, there can be nothing better than clear lime-water, 
for, while this kills the worms, it benefits the spergula. 
As the formation of a spergula lawn requires much patient 
attention, it may be recommended as a pastime to those who 
are of a temperament suited to the task, and can afford the 
time that must be devoted to it for a satisfactory result. Our 
advice to a beginner, fired with enthusiasm on the subject, 
would be to select a comparatively small piece of ground in 
the first instance, in order to obtain a perfect sample of sper¬ 
gula turf in the shortest possible time, and acquire thereby 
the experience needful for a greater effort. For those who 
