ct, though, naturally, everything must
be considerably modified.

CHAPTER II

Lawn, Paths, Beds, and Border

_How to keep a lawn level--Paths, how to lay them--Beds and
bedding--The new style versus the old--Flower-borders and their
backgrounds--Improvement of the soil._

=THE AUTOCRAT OF THE GARDEN.= We have spoken of the general arrangement of
the suburban garden, and must now proceed to particularize. First as to
=the lawn=: It might often be described as a thing invented to keep the
journeyman gardener in constant work, for where that individual only comes
for a day or even half a day each week (on which basis this book is
written) he generally seems to occupy his time in rolling, mowing, and
sweeping the grass. An endeavour should a made to curtail this lengthy
business, if it can be done without hurting his very sensitive feelings.
When a boot-boy is kept, he can be set to roll the grass before and after
it is mown, and also assist in the tidying up, thus giving the man leisure
to attend to other matters. Where tennis or more especially croquet is
played, great care should be taken to keep the turf level; =inequalities=
can always be remedied in the winter or early spring. =Fine soil= should
be scattered over each depression where these are only slight, and a
little seed sown about March; but when the turf is very uneven it is a
better plan to lift it, fill up underneath with soil, and re-lay, rolling
well so that it may settle down properly. To keep a lawn even =constant
rolling= is most necessary. Even when the lawn is smooth, it is as well to
some seed in the spring of every year, for there are sure to be weeds to
eradicate, and this is apt to leave bare patches which mar the beauty of
any lawn. During hot, dry summers, water must be regularly applied or the
grass will wither and perhaps die out altogether. =Grassy slopes=
especially should be looked after, as they are the first to show signs of
distress. Where there is no hose, a "spreader" will be found a most useful
adjunct to a water-can, and is quite inexpensive. The knives of a
mowing-machine should not be set too low in warm weather, as =close
cutting= of grass is often responsible for it turning brown.

The =paths= of a garden can be composed of several substances, gravel
possibly being the best, as it is so easily renewed and kept in order. In
cottage gardens delightful pebble walks with an edging of tiles can be
sometimes s