janunry 18, 1872. ] 



JOURNAL OF HOETICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEE. 



61 



planted, and that uow these walls are covered almost to the 

 top with trees excellent in kiud, m health, and in fruitfnlness— 

 it must be admitted that even with the great means at com- 

 mand the result obtained is a marvel, not only of^expedition 

 but also of completeness, yet this result is a sohd and perma- 

 nent one, not one of Mushroom growth, spriuglngup in a night 

 and decaying as fast. The story of the gardener and the 

 farmer is worthy of the attention of the brethren of the plough, 

 who too often look down upon him of the spade, and despise 

 the lessons wliich they might gather from his practice. One 

 day Mr. Cannichael set his eyes on the Turnip field, satisfied 

 himself it would suit his purpose, and told the farmer he 

 considered that the best place for the new garden. It is a pity 

 we cannot give the vernacular, but great was the farmer's 

 amusement. " Make a garden of that !" the idea was prepos- 

 terous — only the farmer did not use so long a word, considering 

 the gardener less wise — to putit in the mildest form — than he 



should be. But the garden was made on that same field, and 

 instead of indifferent Turnips, grow, and flourish, and frait 

 Peaches and Apricots, Plums and Cherries, Apples and Pears, 

 as well as every kind of vegetable crop. The means by which 

 this success has been attained is inteUigent high culture. 

 InteUigence and high culture, then, are the moral to the tale. 



The site of the kitchen garden is a httle to the north-east of 

 the mansion, near it yet perfectly concealed from view by high 

 trees, which also shelter it from sea-sweeping wiuds — for the 

 sea and the long low line of the Lincolnshhe coast can be 

 seen as one drives over the lull from Woolferton station. 

 The ground within the walls is laid out so simply that the 

 arrangement con be understood without the aid of a diagram. 

 Within the oblong is a long straight-sided oval skirted all 

 roimd by a 15-feet-%vide drive, and at the corners quarters of 

 Gooseberries and Currants at one end, and of orchard trees at 

 the other, follow the sweep of the oval on one side, and a line 



parallel to the walls on the other two. Further, a broad walk 

 passes through the centre of the garden lengthwise, and 

 another crosses it at light angles also in the centre, and at the 

 intersection of the two is a circle with a large basin for water. 

 This arrangement, as just remai'ked, is vei-y simple, and it is as 

 effective as it is simple ; indeed we know no gai'den which so 

 strikes the visitor with its greatness of extent on first entering 

 it, for most large gai-deus, partly from necessity, partly from 

 choice, are cut up into comi^artments by cross walls. The 

 south-aspect wall on the north side of the garden — in other 

 words the principal south wall — hke all the others, is 14 feet 

 high, except where the vineries and Peach houses ai'e placed, 

 where it is higher in proportion to then- various heights. This 

 and the other walls, which ai-e only 12 feet liigh, are 14 inches 

 thick, and biult in *EngUsh bond as being stronger than 

 Flemish bond — that usually employed. All the copings are of 

 Arbroath pavement, project .3 inches, are grooved to thi'ow off 

 the drip, and give a good finish to the walls. In front is a 

 border 40 feet wide, then tli? 15-feet drive, next loO feet of 

 ground between the cMve and 8-feet central walk, then another 

 100 feet of ground, the drive, and the north-as])ect waU and 

 border. The central ai'ea is crossed at every 75 feet by alter- 

 nate lines of Apple and Pear trees, the former gi-own as large 

 bush trees, the latter as pyramids with the branches trained 



* The differeuces between these modes of laying biicks, as well as much in- 

 • formation on the coustniction of walls wUl be" found in vol. siv, New series 



I downwards to uou cii'cles 3 feet in diameter fixed to oak posts, 

 I rising 6 inches above the surface of the ground to allow of the 

 ! hoe being passed beneath. Many of these Pears have already 

 attained the full height to which they ai'e to be allowed to 

 grow, and the whole form handsome trees, and productive as 

 well. These have 8 feet of border kept free of cropping, and 

 being placed so far apart it is easy to cart manure on to the 

 ground, which would not be the case if the trees were planted 

 in lines parallel to the south wall instead of at right angles 

 to it. 



The conversion of such an extent of ground from farm land 

 to a weU-ordered kitchen garden must have been a work of great 

 labom-. Fortunately the surface was tolerably level, so that 

 the task of reducing eminences and fiUiug up hollows was not 

 so great as in some cases ; still towards the east end tha 

 ground rose about (i feet, and this elevation had to be reduced. 

 The subsoil, being iu this part chalk, was taken out and used 

 for bottoming the walks and drive. Generally the soil is a 

 Ught free sandy loam Ijong on carr, but in this part of the gar- 

 den it is rather stiffer and may be described as a chalky loam. 

 The whole of the ground was trenched from 2J to 3 feet deep, 

 a layer of manure placed at the bottom of each spit, and 

 another layer over every subsequent spit, the last layer being 

 covered with the shovellings from the bottom of the trench. 



Having now given some accoimt of what may justly be termed 

 the rise of Sandiiugham, and described the laying-out of the 

 kitchen garden, we shall iu our nest enter into the way in 



