SIZE OF THE GARDEN 19 



because cold air is heavier than warm air and it settles to 

 the lower levels, therefore less danger is experienced from 

 frost. Avoid too steep a slope, one with a fall of about 

 four or five feet to the hundred is good. A gentle slope 

 provides good soil drainage, which is important, because 

 neither fruit nor vegetables can thrive with wet feet. Hor- 

 ticultural crops which are grown slowly on poorly drained 

 land often become very irregular and gnarled in shape and 

 poor in quality. Fruit trees are more liable to split under 

 the strain of wind and other agencies on a poor soil than on a 

 well-drained piece of land, and many gardens are a disappoint- 

 ment to the owner, chiefly because they are not well-drained. 

 (4) A good supply of water should be available for irrigation 

 when it is needed. An immense quantity of water is required 

 at certain seasons of the year and the value of irrigation 

 should not be overlooked. (5) Exposed locations should 

 be protected by windbreaks. Every experienced fruit and 

 vegetable, grower is familiar with the advantages of a wind- 

 break. They are especially valuable in the protection of the 

 cucurbits, such as the cucumber, the squash, etc., and the 

 small fruits, such as raspberries, strawberries and black- 

 berries. Windbreaks are of two kinds, natural and artificial. 

 A common practice is to construct an artificial windbreak 

 such as a fence, which serves the purpose fairly well, although 

 natural windbreaks, such as hedges of conifers are more 

 attractive and more economical when once they are estab- 

 lished. 



Size of the Garden.— The space a garden occupies is largely 

 determined by the number of individuals in the family. The 

 garden should be the minimum size that will' produce a suffi- 

 cient supply of vegetables and fruits for home consumption. 

 The dimensions of the garden will also depend upon the indi- 

 vidual preference for the different kinds of vegetables and 

 fruits, the season of the year, the fertility of the soil, the 

 amount of land available, as well as the intensiveness of the 

 methods which are followed. The size will necessarily vary 

 with each family, and it should be determined in each case 

 by trial. Always plan to use the most intensive methods 

 of cultivation because this practice will make the garden 



