Rensselaer Union, Volume 7, Number 38, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 June 1875 — Ornamenting Walks About the Yard. [ARTICLE]

Ornamenting Walks About the Yard.

Something is always needed along the sides of walks to keep the soil from being worked along into the middle of the path. For this purpose a row of green sods neatly placed on each side is frequently preferred to any other material. The grass, however, must be kept clipped rather short, and the edges must be trimmed occasionally to prevent the grass from spreading, and thus occupying more than the desired area of ground. In some instances the sides of the walks are embellished with pinks, lilies, roses and other flowers. Many persons think there is nothing for the borders of walks equal to box. Others, who do not fancy that sort of edging, employ it for the reason that some florist has recommended box-edging as the most popular material that can be employed for such a purpose. But as box emits an odor which is offensive to some persons, and as it is often more expensive than it should be, we prepare our borders with clover. Of course it will require two seasons before the blossoms will appear. To our own taste for the beautiful there is no edging for walks that can excel a strip of clover of. various sorts in full Bloom. The meadows of summer, fragrant with sweet-smelling hay, cannot vie with the surroundings of the cottage walks when edged with the rainbow-colored inflorescence of the Alsike clover, interspersed with the nodding plumes of the common red or the pea-vine clover. As we are making Some new walks around about our own country villa, the borders are prepared in the following manner: On both sides of the walks the soil is |paded deep and reduced to a mellow condition. Where it is not in'a lertile state a generous supply of fine manure is worked in and mingled thoroughly with the mellow bed. It is important that the surface should be rich and in a fine state of comminution, as clover seed cannot flourish luxuriantly while the seed-bed is covered with lumps of hard earth. If no fine manure can be obtained readily, apply a liberal dressing of ashes, either coal or wood ashes, although the latter will be found more valuable. A light dressing of guano or superphosphate of some~ sort, or the German Kainit, which is advertised so extensively, may be employed with excellent results." After the seed-bed has been properly prepared open three drill-marks in the mellow soil about four

inches apart, parallel with the walk, in which -scatter the A good way to form the drill-marks is to take a square stick, say four or more feet in length, place it on the seed-bed one corner down, and press and work it about half an inch into the mellow soil. Where the walks are curved take a round stick and open drill-marks. Be careful to make the marks parallel with the walks. Now scatter seed of the white Dutch clover (Trifolium reptem) in the first drill-mark, so that the seed will bedistributed about every half inch lengthways of the mark. In the second mark sow-the seed "of Alsike clover (Trifolium hybridum) about as thick as directed in scattering the seed of the white clover. In the third drill sow seed of the common red clover (Trifolium pratense). Then take a broom or bough of an evergreen tree and brush the seed in lightly. If seed were scattered three times as thick as directed there will be no objection, except a waste of seed. Seed of the varieties named, and of some other varieties also, may be procured at most seed stores. In some cities the seed of other varieties of clover beside those alluded to may be purchased usually by the pound. In some localities the'Bokara clover (Melilotus major) may be sown for the sake of variety. It-must be borne in mind that the first season the clovers w-ill vield no blossoms. But if planted as directed, allowed to gain a strong foothold, then covered lightly with straw during the winter to prevent the roots from being lifted out by frost, the various forms of rare inflorescence will irradiate the borders of the walks early the next season with all the gorgeous beauty of the lily of the valley. If cobble-stones can be placed along the walks and washed with milk of lime, some white, purple, blue and other colors, the rough bowlders will teach impressive lessons on the subject of rural beauty. Boon after the blossoms begin to unfold the clover-heads must bq clipped off for the purpose of keeping the plants in bloom for a long time. If this- is not done the growing clover will become so exhausted by producing a crop of seed that the second season after the maturity of the crop the clover borders will appear w'eak and sickly and but few- heads will blossom. The clover stalks should never be permitted to grow so tall that they will fall down. Let the tops be cut off before the stalks become tall and slender.— Agricola, in New York Herald.