WALKS AND ROADS. 
89 
bottom of trenches on 
each side, as shown by 
the accompanying sketch. 
Four inches thickness of 
gravel on a road thus pre¬ 
pared will, with proper care, make an excellent road. On clay, 
roads can be made with no more additional preparation than to 
provide for a few more inches of gravel. Fig. 20 shows a suitable 
form for such a roadway. Of course the grades of the roads 
lengthwise must be such as to carry the water in the gutters and 
drains to proper outlets. We suggest this method of road-making 
for those sections of the country where stone is costly, and for 
those improvers who cannot afford to use a large amount of money 
in road foundations. 
The main thing to secure good walks or roads is constant care. 
Weeds and grass must be kept from encroaching by the use of the 
hoe and edging-spade; the gravel must be kept in place by the use 
of the rake and roller. No thoroughness of construction will make 
such care needless, and by it the least expensive walks and roads 
may be kept in excellent condition at small cost. 
Solid stone flagging, if neatly dressed, is of course preferable 
for walks to gravel, and will be used where it can be afforded. 
Where the asphaltum or coal-tar composition, now used with great 
success for walks in the Central Park, can be put down by some 
one thoroughly conversant with the mode of doing it well, it will 
be found a very fine material; but while green it involves much 
risk to carpets. Where the soil is clay, and good gravel or com¬ 
position not easily obtained, (as in many parts of the western 
states,) and flagging is too expensive, seasoned white pine board 
or plank walks may be substituted. These, if carefully laid, (across 
the line of the walk,) and the edges sawed to the requisite curves 
or straight lines, make very comfortable walks. The main dif¬ 
ficulty is to find mechanics who will have skill and patience to put 
them down in the graceful curved lines that are desired. Inch 
lumber, daubed on the under side with hot coal-tar to postpone 
rotting, will answer very well for walks from two to three feet 
wide. For wider ones two-inch plank is recommended. 
Fig. 20. 
