16 ON LAYING OUT A FLOWER GARDEN. 



should be studied, the whole showing an evident and well- 

 defined connection. These erections generally are stiff 

 artificial disjointed masses, and often decorated with plants 

 having no affinity to their arid location. The undertaking, 

 when well completed, will present a field of varied and in- 

 teresting study, and more than compensate for the labour 

 and expense bestowed upon it. If it is desired that the 

 flower garden should be a botanical study, there should be 

 some botanical arrangement adopted. 



The Linnean system is the most easily acquired. A 

 small compartment laid out in beds might contain plants of 

 all the twenty-four classes, and a few of all the hardy orders 

 which do not exceed one hundred. Or, to have their na- 

 tural characters more assimilated, the Jussieuean system 

 could be carried into effect by laying down a grass plat to 

 any extent above one quarter of an acre, and cut therein 

 small figures to contain the natural families, which of hardy 

 plants we do not suppose w r ould exceed one hundred and 

 fifty. The difficulties of this arrangement are, that many 

 of the characters are imperfectly known even to the most 

 scientific. (Professor Lindley has given additional light 

 on the subject by his last publication.) All the large divi- 

 s,ions should be intersected by small alleys, or paths, about 

 one and a half or two feet wide. When there is not a 

 green-house attached to the flower garden, there should be 

 at least a few sashes of framing or a forcing pit to bring 

 forward early annuals, &c., for early blooming. These 

 should be situate in some spot detached from the garden 

 by a fence of Roses, trained to trellises, Chinese Arbour 

 vitse, Privet, or even Maclura makes excellent fences ; and, 

 when properly trimmed, are very ornamental : they require 

 to be neatly and carefully clipped with shears every Sep- 

 tember. In the southern states Noisette and China Roses, 

 with a profusion of Sweetbriar, would make the most 

 beautiful of all fences, and could be very easily obtained : 

 a fence three hundred feet long would only cost about one 

 hundred and twenty dollars. Frames for forcing should 

 be made of plank two inches thick, and well put together ; 

 the sash should be from five to seven feet long, and from 

 three to four feet wide, and filled with six by eight glass. 

 In the framing ground should be kept the various soils 

 required for plants, and also various characters of manure 



