Formation of a Vegetable Garden 



insects possible. Box should be clipped yearly, and should 

 never be more than four to six inches high. If allowed 

 to exceed this limit, slugs will certainly find a habitation 

 therein, but six inches is a sufficient height for all practical 

 purposes. The objection with regard to the inability to 

 use weed-killer would be serious were it true, but fortu- 

 nately it lacks this quality, for boards can be laid against 

 the box in a slanting direction on each side, and the weed- 

 killer is thus kept off the box and away from its roots, the 

 only danger being that the person using the mixture may 

 carelessly let it be sprinkled beyond the boards. The 

 weeds immediately against the box could surely be pulled 

 by hand. 



If, however, the overthrow of these arguments is not 

 sufficient to induce one to have box there are several 

 other means of edging, so as to prevent the trespass of 

 the soil on to the walks. Among these may be mentioned, 

 boards, stones, and tiles. Boards when used should not 

 be less than one foot wide and one inch thick and should be 

 secured by posts two or three inches square driven well into 

 the ground. Both boards and posts should be coated 

 with tar for their longer preservation, and when fitted 

 down should be about four inches above the path level. If 

 the posts are placed at a reasonable distance apart the 

 warping of the boards will not be very great. Stones are 

 preferable as being more lasting, but they are in few 

 cases obtainable without a great expense. Where they 

 can be procured by all means use them, for if they are 

 well chosen (those of a very shelly nature being discarded) 

 they are practically imperishable. They should be as far 

 as possible of an even thickness, and sunk well into the 

 33 c 



