ART OF GARDENING. 47 



site. Mr. Forsyth says : " A garden, if possible, should be 

 on a gentle declivity towards the south, a little inclining to 

 the east, to receive the benefit of the morning sun." Low 

 bottom lands are subjected to blights, mildews, and frosts, 

 and, on the other hand, a too lofty situation is exposed to 

 merciless winds, that break the branches of trees and shrub- 

 bery, and scatter prematurely the blossoms of the orchard. 



Having secured as good a situation as circumstances per- 

 mit, and made art supply original defects of situation, the 

 next step is to ascertain the nature of the soil. If it be very 

 wet, drains must be dug to carry off the superfluous water. 

 These drains must be made to draw into the main drain, 

 which can be laid under the principal walk of the garden. 

 In a small garden of an acre, one well-constructed drain will 

 generally be sufficient, if the soil be not deplorably wet. 



A cold, stubborn, clayey soil requires to be lightened by 

 horse-manure, wood and coal ashes, sand, and chip-dust, in 

 order to become porous, and accessible to the outer atmos- 

 phere. 



Dry and sandy soils require manures which will increase 

 their weight, and promote an adhesiveness favorable to the 

 retention of moisture. Cow-manure, river-mud, clay, fish- 

 offal, can be given to such soils with advantage. 



Ground which retains moisture, and is neither very sandy 

 nor very clayey, which in drying does not bake in obstinate 

 sour cakes, has a good constitution for the produce of most 

 vegetables. 



If your land is new, it will require two or three deep 

 ploughings before it can be worked. 



The implements for a garden may easily be multiplied to 

 a useless excess. A skilful gardener brings his labor about 

 with comparatively few tools. 



Two spades, of different forms, a hand hoe, a garden rake, 

 an asparagus fork, one or two drilling-machines for sowing 



