24 THE BOOK OF GARDEN DESIGN 



misfortune it is to work them. Flowers and trees 

 raised on them are always backward, and if disease is 

 not actually present, growth is nearly always weak and 

 stunted. In winter, the land is cold and wet, extremely 

 tenacious and demanding added strength and perse- 

 verance to dig ; in summer, it is parched and baked, 

 whilst tender plants have no possible chance of making 

 headway. The greasy condition of the garden walks is 

 another prominent feature of soils of this description. 

 All things considered, a light, free-working loam, 

 resting on a substratum of a gravelly nature, is probably 

 best adapted to secure greatest comfort to the occupier, 

 and health and prolificacy to all forms of vegetable life. 

 Drainage cannot be entirely depended upon to remedy 

 soils of a cold, heavy nature, and to all whose intention 

 it is to devote their energies largely to the delights of 

 garden-making, my advice is to shun clay lands by 

 every means in their power. 



The careful designer will devote much attention to the 

 question of aspect, endeavouring to secure warmth and 

 sunlight for the most frequented portions of house and 

 garden. It is generally conceded that land having a 

 gentle slope towards the south-east more nearly ap- 

 proaches the ideal than any other. Especially if the 

 public road skirts the northern side of the property, 

 allowing the entrance drive to be made from that 

 direction, and thus leaving the whole of the southern 

 slope free for lawns and garden, will this aspect prove 

 pleasing. Nothing can be more disappointing to the 

 garden lover than the constant trouble experienced in 

 rearing tender plants and trees in the damp and cheerless 

 positions assigned to them by certain unthinking design- 

 ers. In such gardens the sun is only felt for a fraction 

 of the day, and as a consequence those beautiful effects 

 of light and shade, without which the finest scenes are 

 ifet and uninteresting, are conspicuous by their absence. 



