KITCHEN GARDEN. 



279 



KITCHEN GARDEN. 



thing like Fig. 3 has also been recom- ( which line the inner side of the walk, 

 mended by Mr. Loudon and others, and \ These borders have also a good effect laid 

 the rounded part would make a beautiful j on in round ridges. 



fruit garden. This figure might also be j Sloping Banks or Ridges. In level 

 rounded at both ends. The centre walk ; kitchen gardens it is often desirable to 

 should pass through close at each end. throw up sloping banks or zigzag ridges 



a represents the wall ; b, fruit-tree border, 

 10 feet wide ; c, walk, 6 feet wide ; and 

 d t border for dwarf trees or bushes, or 

 the culture of strawberries, &c.. 6 feet 

 wide. 



Borders. Whatever shape is adopted, 

 borders should always be introduced on 

 each side of the main walks. Nothing 

 tends more to relieve the heavy appear- 

 ance of large masses of vegetables, and 

 to confer an air of elegance to a kitchen 

 garden, than such borders. They should 

 be separated froai the main vegetable 

 compartments by small walks, from 18 

 inches to 2 feet wide. These walks can 

 be edged with pebbles, and have a sprink- 

 ling of gravel, or simply cut off as alleys, 

 and be left solid earth, at pleasure. If 

 they are formed of some hard substance, 

 all the wheeling can be performed on 

 them instead of on the main walk. 



Inclination or Slope. Perhaps the nearer 

 to a level a kitchen garden can be formed, 

 the better. A slight inclination to the 

 south-east, south, or west, might be an 

 advantage ; on no account should it 

 incline to the north. Where a kitchen 

 garden is nearly level, it may often be 

 desirable to give fruit-tree borders a con- 

 siderable inclination, to get the benefit 

 of the sun's rays and insure thorough 

 drainage. Borders against the wall may 

 be sloped in directions opposite to those 



placed on the top, is equal to a south 

 border ; and the north side is equally 

 useful for late strawberries, salading in 

 hot weather, &c. Such banks are also 

 most useful for training peas, &c., on 

 table-trestles, within i foot or 18 inches 

 of the surface. Some of the borders at 

 the side of the walk might also be 

 occupied by iron wire for training trees 

 or espaliers, table-trestles, c. One should 

 be devoted to raspberries, planted 3 feet 

 from the walks, and trained to a handrail 



FIG. 3. KITCHEN GAKDEN ROUNDED AT ONE END. 



at the side of the walk, from 3 to 4 feet 

 high. The advantages of this system, on 

 the ground of beauty, doing justice to the 

 young wood, and the facility and pleasure 

 of gathering, must be at once apparent, 

 Soil and size. The size of the kitclien 



