THE KITCHEN GARDEN. 



It would seem almost unnecessary to treat at all on Vegetable Gardens, as 

 the laying out of them is well understood by gardeners generally, all agreeing 

 that straight lines and parallel forms are more suitable for the arrangement of 

 their crops than crooked hnes. I may observe, however, that the Vegetable 

 Garden ought not to be at a considerable distance from the house, except 

 a proper locality does not present itself nearer. When it is half a mile or 

 more distant, as in many instances, the supply of the house with vegetables 

 is effected with great inconvenience. At the same time, strict regard must 

 be paid to its being so placed as to be concealed, as much as possible, from 

 the general landscape. The gardens which are laid down on the General Plan 

 in this work, are placed at as short a distance as should be allowed, for a 

 proper disposal of the rest of the ground ; the size laid down would, also, 

 only in very few instances be large enough ; therefore, any greater extent 

 required should be added backwards, or further from the house. 



It may be useful to observe, that good drainage is of the highest import- 

 ance to the health and flavour of both fruit and vegetables, especially in 

 clayey or strong land. When such is the nature of the land, a principal drain 

 should be laid in all the walks, considerably below the undisturbed subsoil, 

 with necessary branch drains all over the garden, and especially in the borders 

 between the walks and the wall, in order to keep the soil in as pure a state 

 as possible for the roots of the wall trees. Further, when the bottom of 

 these borders below the subsoil is of clay, in addition to the drains, the most 

 useful and effective means to prevent the roots of vines, and other fruit trees, 

 penetrating into the clay — in fact, to preserve them in a healthy state— is, 

 to spread a thin covering of stones, or gravel, from an inch to three inches 

 deep, all over the clay, then to cover the whole with hme, or lime-craps, 

 sufficient to fill all the crevices, and afterwards to brush it in with a little 

 water, so that, the whole being made firm and even, with a gentle fall from 



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