KITCHEN-GARDEN AND ORCHARD 47 



massive, nail-studded arrangements are strangely out of 

 keeping with the freedom and freshness of the garden. 

 By means of a few clumps of gay herbaceous flowers 

 just inside the kitchen-garden entrance, there will be no 

 need to screen this department off from the rest of the 

 garden : in fact, a very pleasant vista may be arranged 

 from one to the other. 



Whether the garden is surrounded by walls or hedge, 

 a wide border should be formed immediately next the 

 boundary line. In the case of walls, this is especially 

 desirable, as enabling a suitable root medium to be 

 provided for the choice fruit-trees which will be trained 

 to them. These borders will vary in width, partly 

 according to the aspect, but mainly with reference to 

 the size of the garden. A twelve-foot border is perhaps 

 as satisfactory as any, but eighteen feet is no uncommon 

 width in larger establishments. Under a wall facing 

 north, the width of the border need seldom be more 

 than six feet. It is well to devote very careful attention 

 to the preparation of these borders, thorough drainage 

 being the first essential. The soil may also be removed 

 to a depth of two and a half feet, and a layer of stones, 

 brick rubbish, and other material spread at the bottom ; 

 this will prevent the roots of the fruit-trees from striking 

 too deeply. If some old turf and manure be placed 

 above and the soil finally returned, the border will be in 

 the best condition for planting. A gentle fall from 

 back to front should be contrived, so that sun and air 

 may reach all parts of the crop. 



One of the primary essentials for the kitchen-garden is 

 the formation of really good walks. Constant traffic, the 

 passage to and fro of water-carts and wheelbarrows, 

 would soon cut up a half-made pathway and render it 

 almost useless. Nothing can be nicer than broad flags, 

 both for appearance and utility, but unless stone happens 

 to be plentiful in the neighbourhood, the expense of 



