BOOKOFOLD-WORLDGARDENS 



Varro's will have no taste but upon a sand or gravel; but 

 lf the richer these are, the better; and neither sa- 

 lads, peas or beans, have at all the taste upon a 

 clay or rich earth, as they have upon either of the 

 others, though the size and colour of fruits and 

 plants may, perhaps, be more upon the worse 

 soils. 



Next to your choice of soil, is to suit your plants 

 to your ground, since of this every one is not mas- 

 ter ; though perhaps Varro's judgment upon this 

 case is the wisest and the best; for to one that 

 asked him, what he should do if his father or an- 

 cestors had left him a seat in an ill air, or upon 

 an ill soil ? He answered, Why sell it, and buy an- 

 other in good. Butwhatif I cannot get half the 

 worth? Why then take a quarter; but however 

 sell it for anything, rather than live upon it. 



Of all sorts of soil, the best is that upon a 

 sandy gravel, orarosiny sand; whoever lies upon 

 either of these, may run boldly into all the best 

 sort of peaches and grapes, how shallow soever 

 the turf be upon them; and whatever other tree 

 will thrivein these soils thefruit shall beof much 

 finer taste than any other: a richer soil will do 

 well enough for apricots, plums, pears or figs; 

 but still the more of the sand in your earth the 



72 



