692 GARDEN MANAGEMENT. 



gardening pursuits, and tend to enricli and strengthen our own spiritual and 

 moral nature while we are engaged in beautifying the earth. They also help 

 to sustain and interest, when cold winter has swept all beauty out of sight 

 with his withering breaths, and give to our winter work almost equal charms 

 to that possessed by our summer labours of love and pleasure. In many 

 respects the former is even of more importance than the latter. It is only 

 those who dig, plough, and sow in winter, that have any right to reap in 

 summer or autumn. 



2177. Now is the time to plan and lay the foundation for the future beauty. 

 Half the gardens in the country are miserable failures, either because they 

 have no design, or because it is so stupidly confused or obscure as not to be 

 perceptible. A garden without obvious design imprinted on its surface is like a 

 house with neither shape or foundation. Fortunately such an abortion of a 

 house is impossible, and unfortunately such gardens are not only possible but 

 common. A few trees, shrubs, and plants, dotted about as if they had come 

 down from the heavens on the tail of a water-spout ; some ugly, capricious 

 lumps of soil, called clamps, beds, or shrubbery ; a little of everything every- 

 where, and masses of nothing nowhere, and the garden is finished. Now, I 

 wish to burn it deep into every mind, that what the sculptor is to a block of 

 marble, the gardener of correct, orderly, systematic, refined taste is to a 

 garden. It would just be as truthful to erect a rough block that had only 

 received a few rude blows with the hammer, and tei-m it a masterpiece 

 of sculptural art, as to dignify many of the abortions that disfigure natural 

 scenery with the names of gardens and pleasure-grounds. 



2 [78. It is the imprint of mind that imparts the chief charm to matter. 

 Intellect, spirit, genius, leap from the block and the canvas, and enchain us 

 by their fascinating charms. They should also rise up to meet us from every 

 good garden, and consummate our enjoyment. Having got the ground into 

 the proper shape, for which directions have already been given, see that it is 

 also made of the best quality. Some instructions for doing this have already 

 appeared m this work. Good, properly-prepared soil is of the first im- 

 portance in the kitchen-garden ; it is even of greater importance here. The 

 permanent nature of the plants introduced into shrubberies and flower- 

 gardens renders the future improvement of bad soil difficult, and well- 

 nigh impossible. All who value rapid, healthy growth must see that every- 

 thing possible is done to ameliorate the soil before planting. November is the 

 best month in the whole year for planting ; and presuming that this opera- 

 tion is still going on, I will now give some instructions how and what to plant. 

 And, first, large trees and shrubs. To gain time, these are largelj'- used in 

 many places. The effect of ten or twenty years' growth is gained on any 

 given spot at once. This is of immense importance in the lifetime of a man, 

 and the practice of transplanting large trees is therefore popular and highly 

 to be commended ; neither is there much risk of failure with proper caution 

 and skill, and it is not so expensive as many imagine. With the aid of 

 McGlashin's patent transplanting machines, trees of almost any size may bo 



