280 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



jou must have some protection to prevent the happy peasant who 

 may chance to dig the ground from going too near to the currant 

 and gooseberry trees, which we will suppose form the inner boun- 

 dary next the vegetable plot. Kow a safe and sure, and easy and 

 convenient way of disposing of this diflBculty is to construct a walk, 

 and the end of it will be a combined vegetable and fruit-garden, 

 with none of the absurdity of trees everywhere in tlie way, and 

 always exposed to insult and injury. This is solution No. 2. 



It is time now to offer a third proposition. EmpLiy as many 

 fruits as possible for ornamental purposes, and thus utilize for the 

 good of the household the sunshine of the lawn, the croquet ground, 

 the entrance-court, and the shrubbery. We are now upon delicate 

 ground, and gentility might stop the way. It must be repeated, 

 therefore, that every separate case must be considered on its merits. 

 Let us, therefore, go on, and leave it to the reader to judge if our 

 proposals are in any way applicable to his own particular case. 



It must be understood at starting, that while some kinds of 

 fruits are decidedly ornamental, others are as decidedly not so. All 

 the most valuable household fruits, apples, pears, chf^rries, and plums, 

 are decidedly ornamental, and adapted to embellish the lawn and 

 the shrubbery, and give shade to the summer-house and the croquet 

 ground. It is not long since we published in the " Garden Oracle " 

 a list of the most ornamental varieties of these fruits. There are 

 several kinds not usually regarded as proper to the fruit-garden 

 that would be found both useful and ornamental, as for example, 

 the Siberian crab, which is one of the most beautiful of trees, and 

 it8 pretty fruit makes a good preserve. All the varietiet^ of nuts 

 are handsome, and make nice lovers' walks. For particular posi- 

 tions, the Furple-leaved Filbert is well adapted, the leafage being 

 of a rich bronzy green colour, and the nuts of excellent quality. 

 Those who wish for ornamental trees that will contribute to the 

 comfort of the household, may easily find them, and we are quite 

 sure no one will dispute the proposition that decorative horticulture 

 might derive considerable aid from the trees and shrubs that belong 

 technically to the fruit-garden. 



As a rule, bush fruits are not ornamental. The raspberry, 

 and black currant, and gooseberry are the most tolerable in re- 

 spect of appearance, and may be allowed to comiS within view of 

 the walks in the remoter parts of the pleasure-garden. The black 

 currant makes a good dividing fence, and as it need not be pruned 

 at all, soon gets up and becomes a dense leafy screen, and as it 

 comes into leaf early, and sheds its leaves late, it is, for practical 

 purposes, almost an evergreen. The red and white currants are 

 the ugliest of all fruit-trees, and really ought not to be taken into any 

 compromise such as other bush fruits are worthy of. They must 

 have an open sunny spot, and it is worthy of observation that they 

 endure punishment at the root better than any other trees in the 

 world, and so they may be taken into a compromise of another sort, 

 and be planted on the boundaries of open plots in the kitchen- 

 garden, s. n. 



