42 THE GARDENS OF EPICURUS 



answered, Why sell it, and buy another in good. But 

 what if 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, or a rosiny 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 thrive in these soils the fruit 

 shall be of 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 

 better, and the worse the more of the clay, which is 

 proper for oaks, and no other tree that I know of. 



Fruits should be suited to the climate among us, as 

 well as the soil ; for there are degrees of one and the 

 other in England, where 'tis to little purpose to plant 

 any of the best fruits ; as peaches or grapes, hardly, 

 I doubt, beyond Northamptonshire, at the furthest 

 northwards : and I thought it very prudent in a 

 gentleman of my friends in Staffordshire, who is a 

 great lover of his garden, to pretend no higher, though 

 his soil be good enough, than to the perfection of 

 plums ; and in these (by bestowing south walls upon 

 them) he has very well succeeded, which he could 



