JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
233 
to 
iMarch  12,  1903. 
or  expecting,  that  a  storm  will  come  and  damage  most  of  their 
fiMit,  the  contention  being  that  with  a  heavy  crop  there  is  a 
chance  of  some  fruit  remaining  untouched.  In  these  cases  the 
best  prices  are  lost.  On  the  other  hand  there  are  lai'ger,  but 
fewer  fruits,  and,  with  a  storm,  probably  less  damaged  fruits 
to  be  found  on  the  trees.  The  locusts  are  too  well  known.  Let 
them  once  settle  on  your  garden  and  they  will  eat  you  out.  Gar¬ 
deners’  situations  are  not  very  often  advertised.  There  are  a  few 
private  gentlemen’s  estates  ai’ound  the  largest  towns,  but  there 
may  be  more  estates  grow  up  if  prosperity  should  follow  this 
colony,  and,  if  the  gold  lasts,  there  is  no  doubt  but  prosperity 
will  come.—C.  F.,  Johannesburg. 
WALKS,  DRIVES,  AND  RIDES. 
IN  matters  appertaining  to  the  garden,  whether  of  the  palace, 
mansion,  villa,  or  cottage,  embracing  the  highest  range  of 
aristocracy  to  the  lowest  estate  of  the  Britsh  home,  there  is 
an  importance  attaching  to  the  garden  path  that  both 
landscape  and  architect  must,  and  do,  allow  a.  prominence 
consistent  with  their  extent  and  purpose.  Usually,  the  walks  are 
the  first  consideration  in  garden  designs,  and  are  so  arranged 
that  they  harmonise  with  the  nature  of  the  site  in  which  they 
are  created.  Their  primary  object  is  found  in  the  means  of  access 
to  the  varied  treasures  of  the  garden,  or  the  leading  from  one 
point  to  another. 
But  in  their  making  it  is  not  a  question  of  reaching  a  given 
point  by  a  straight  course.  This  would,  if  carried  out  in  a  general 
sense,  be  an  offence  to  the  laws  of  Nature  and  garden  architecture, 
hence  curves  in  varying  degrees  are  the  more  pleasing,  because 
in  them  there  is  an  absence  of  rigidity  and  sternness  in  their 
application  and  character.  This  is  true  of  the  lawns  and  grounds 
where  there  is  sufficient  space  to  allow  of  graceful  treatment.  In 
the  kitchen  garden,  vdiere  the  use  of  the  paths  are  destined  for 
more  economical  purposes,  they  are  invariably  made  in  straight 
lines,  and  at  suitable  angles,  so  that  the  growth  of  vegetables  and 
fruit  can  be  the  more  conveniently  dealt  with. 
Construction  of  Walks. 
The  first  thought  in  the  construction  of  walks  is  the  choice  of 
suitable  materials,  a  proper  system  of  drainage,  and  provision  for 
dealing  with  heavy  rains.  On  paths  that  have  sharp  elevation 
much  trouble  is  given  by  the  floating  of  gravel  by  the  gathering 
water  to  the  lower  levels  of  the  ground.  It  is  no  uncommon 
experience  in  steeply  sloping  lawns  and  gardens  to  find  after 
heavy  storms  that  quantities  have  to  be  carted  back  from  the  low 
positions  to  repair  the  “  ruts  ”  made  by  the  deluge.  Unfor¬ 
tunately,  the  ordinary  gratings  used  for  path  drains  soon  become 
obstructed  by  the  moving  grit,  which  allow  the  water  to  pass 
over  them  and  to  proceed  to  the  next.  The  same  thing  happens 
again,  and  so  its  course  continues  until  it  reaches  a  level,  and 
either  floods  the  lower  surfaces  to  gravitate  away  at  its  leisure, 
or  tears  up  a  watei'-way  to  relieve  itself  in  finding  the  nearest 
outlet.  In  some  places  an  oak  sill  or  an  ornamental  iron  plate  or 
pipe  might  be  made  to  span  the  path,  and  divert  the  collecting 
water  before  it  attains  a  .sufficient  volume  to  commit  damage. 
It  is  only  by  breaking  up  the  gathering  surface  water  that  such 
casualties  can  be  averted  on  the  hillside.  If  there  are  shrubbery 
borders  closely  abutting  on  the  path  it  is  not  a  difficult  matter 
to  turn  these  small  streams  on  to  such  borders,  where  they  may 
easily  gravitate  below,  and  often  to  the  benefit  of  the  subjects 
growing  therein.  It  is  important  that  not  only  should  cess-pits 
be  made  deep  to  catch  the  grit  that  falls  through  the  gratings 
which  cover  them,  but  that  they  are  periodically  cleaned  out  to 
avoid  the  blocking  up  of  the  drains  leading  from  one  to  the  other. 
The  greater  the  depth  of  coarse  stone  employed  in  the  path 
bottoms  the  better  do  they  drain  themselves,  and  become  dry  for  , 
use  in  stormy  weather.  This  sometimes  may  be  quarried  out 
locally,  especially  when  excavations  are  made  in  undulating 
surfaces. 
In  some  gardens,  excavating  is  necessary  for  making  stations 
for  specimen  trees,  shrubbery  borders,  or  geometrical  beds.  We 
recently  saw  work  in  progress  where  tons  of  stone  had  to  be  re¬ 
moved  for  the  planting  of  herbaceous  borders  and  boundary 
hedges.  Here,  then,  was  valuable  material  for  the  construction 
of  good  footpaths.  While,  too,  we  can  recall  instances  where 
the  gardener  can  obtain  the  necessary  gravel  by  actual  digging 
on  the  place,  others  must  get  their  supply,  perhaps,  from  a 
source  many  miles  away:  but  whatever  the  source,  necessity 
make.s  it  iiuperative  that  it  must  be  procured  at  any  cost.  A 
well  made  path  will  last  an  almost  indefinite  period  where  no 
storm  floods  occur  to  disturb  its  surface,  and  weed  killers  now  so 
generally  employed  serve  to  make  them  still  moa'-e  lasting, because 
hoeing,  raking,  and  the  removal  of  weeds  are  by  their  use  made 
non-existent  items  of  labour  and  loss. 
Prior  to  the  introduction  of  chemical  weed  killers  wc  have 
in  mind  paths  whose  construction  was  costly  in  the  provision 
made  for  combating  this  weed  trouble.  Ground  lime  and  washed 
gravel  were  the  component  parts  in  this  hoped-for  weed-proof 
surface,  but  time  and  weather  influence  proved  this  costly 
prescription  to  be  without  the  merit  it  fostered  in  the  mind  of 
the  experimenter.  With  good  gravel  and  a  graduated  stone  base 
there  is  nothing  better  for  paths  that  have  to  deal  with  much 
traffic. 
The  Sward  Pathway. 
In  suitable  positions  there  is  much  to  he  said  in  favour  of  a 
green  grass  walk.  In  the  kitchen  garden  attached  to  some  country 
residences,  a  grass  path  is  excellent  where  herbaceous  borders 
are  made  a  central  feature.  In  such  a  case  relief  paths  must  be 
made  for  heavy  traTc  at  the  tack  of  such  borders.  No  belter 
J.  I’cHch  <X'  Sons,  Ltd. 
Ornamental  Grasses.  (Page  235.) 
oil  or  suitable  relief  can  be  devised  than  a  grass  path  for  flower 
'Orders,  and  where  the  permanent  grass  walk  i,s  inadmissible,  a 
larrow  strip  of  turf  on  either  side  is  obviously  better  than  box, 
ile,  or  brick  edgings. 
■  We  have  said  that  graceful  curves  are  more  pleasing  and  more 
latural  than  the  rigidly  straight  paths.  To  this  there  must  of 
iec0ssity  bo  oxcoptions,  bocauso  tlio  iiaturo  of  tlio  ground  and 
andscape  soniotiincs,  indeed,  often,  require  straight  or  angled 
lath  lines.  Where  there  are  raised  terraces  either  of  stone  or 
;rass  these  are  invariably  made  straight  or  take  a  square  circuit 
rithin  sight  of  the  house.  Stone  balustrades,  too,  require  broad, 
traight  paths  within  their  enclosure.  It  would  be  possible  for 
me  to  continue  indefinitely  to  raise  points  in  favour  and  against 
he  practice  of  straight  and  curved  walks,  so  much  depending  on 
ocal  taste  and  surroundings. 
In  the  use  of  pergolas,  now  such  a  ruling  fashion  everywhere, 
he  cu.stom  of  employing  straight  lines  rather  than  curved  ones 
could  soem  the  most  prevalent.  Even  though  this  would  appear 
o  a  brief  reflection  only  is  necessary  to  recall  an  instance  where 
i. ’curve  of  easv  range  has  been  adopted.  It  is  said  that 
he  true,  pergola  should  have  stone  or  brick  columns  and  oak 
imbers  stretching  from  one  to  the  other,  and  beneath  them  a 
tone  naved  promenade.  While  this  suits  the  fancy  of  some,  one 
nav  find  a  preference  for  gravel,  or  evi  n  grass,  Irum  otlier.<. 
