OHAP. I VILLA GAKDENING 385 



upon it. If they belong to a section fond of moisture, and if in 

 addition to this we sink a hole 3 feet deep, and at any time during 

 the winter half-year water stands in a stagnant condition at the 

 bottom of the hole, the land requires draining, and less than SJ 

 feet deep will be of no use. The distances the drains are to be 

 apart will depend upon the nature of the soil, but no hard or fast 

 line must be laid down. If the vegetable garden is taken from 

 the field, the boundary fence will require some consideration. I 

 suppose no one would build a wall for a mere vegetable garden, as 

 a good hedge is warmer, and if well managed will soon form a 

 good protection. 



Hollies and Thorns. — The former makes a hedge which, if 

 well managed, will be a joy for ever. Plant on a raised mound, in 

 a single rovv^, bushy plants, as nearly as possible of one strength, 

 from 12 to 15 inches apart. I have said plant on mounds, but 

 the ground on the sides of the hedges should form a sloping border 

 for early vegetables — at least on all aspects but the north, and 

 even there depth of soil will be an advantage in hot summers. 

 The greater the slope given to these borders the better it will be. 

 If soil has to be taken from other parts of the garden to make 

 these raised borders, even then the advantage secured will out- 

 weigh the trouble incurred. Next to the Holly as a hedge jtlant is 

 the White Thorn, and, indeed, the Thorn forms a good hedge in 

 less time than the Holly, for the latter is notoriously a slow plant 

 in starting. Once get it well established in a suitable position, 

 and it goes ahead rapidly, but at first it is a slow grower. Deepen- 

 ing the soil in the way I have suggested will cause the Holly, or 

 any other plant which may be used to form a boundary fence, to 

 grow with more vigour. If the Holly hedge be planted on the 

 crown of a ridge 2 feet high, the shelter to the garden will soon be 

 appreciated, especially as regards the early crops growing on the 

 southern slopes. These slopes or borders should not be less than 

 12 feet wide, and their value in the production of all early crops 

 will be immense. 



Walks and Edgings. — If the question of vegetable culture be 

 looked at simply from a utilitarian point of view, expensively- 

 constructed walks or edgings are unnecessary, and in point of fact 

 I would rather leave the walks an open question to be settled 

 each one for himself If permanent edgings nuist be used, I should 

 prefer dead edgings to living ones, as the latter often harbour 

 slugs, etc., and are expensive to keep in good condition. In the 

 case of all large vegetable gardens a road wide enough for a cart 

 should be made down the centre for the purpose of carting on 

 manure, etc., and this road should be gravelled and kept in good 



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