FEB.] THE KITCHEN GARDEN. lit 



and not limited to space of ground, three or four acres of kitchen 

 garden may be necessary ; and some very large families have them 

 of six or eight acres extent. 



If the produce is intended for sale, the garden must be large in 

 proportion to the demand. 



FENCES FOR INCLOSING THE GROUND. 



With respect to fences for inclosing the ground, it is most neces- 

 sary to have an effectual fence of some sort around the kitchen-gar- 

 den, both for security of the produce and to defend tender and early 

 crops from cutting winds. 



Previous to fencing the ground, the proper shape or form for the 

 garden is to be considered ; the most eligible form of a kitchen-gar- 

 den is that either of a square or oblong square ; but the figure may 

 be varied as the necessity of the case may require ; keeping, however, 

 as near as possible to the square or oblong form, especially if the 

 ground is to be fenced with materials for training fruit-trees ; no other 

 shape answers so well for that purpose ; for trial having been made 

 of circles, ovals, semicircles, angles, &c., none succeed near so well 

 as the square form. 



Different sorts of fences are used for inclosing this ground, as walls, 

 palings, and hedges, &c. 



Sometimes board fences or palings are used, both for protection 

 and for training fruit-trees to. When such are intended for trees, 

 the boarding should be tongued and closely joined edge to edge, so 

 as to form a plane or even surface for the commodious training the 

 branches. 



In gardens where no wall trees are intended, a hedge, or bank and 

 hedge is a very proper fence ; which may be so trained as to form 

 both an effectual fence against men and beasts, also to shelter par- 

 ticular parts of the ground for raising early crops : a hawthorn hedge 

 is the most proper, though other sorts may be used. 



No fencing, however, for a kitchen-garden where intended to have 

 wall trees, especially in the more northerly parts of the Union, is 

 equal to brick walls, which are considerably stronger, warmer, and 

 more durable than paling fences; and their natural warmth, together 

 with their reflection of the sun's heat, is the most effectual for the 

 growth and ripening of the latest and more delicate kinds of fruit. 



Hot walls for forcing by fire heat, &c., are often erected in large 

 kitchen-gardens j for an account of which see page 55. 



PREPARING AND LAYING OUT THE GROUND. 



The whole ground should be regularly trenched two spades deep ; 

 observing if the soil is poor or of bad quality, and wants amendment, 

 either of dung or any of the materials before mentioned, such must 

 previously be added, and then trenched in betwixt the bottom and 

 top pits, so as next year when it comes to be digged again, and the 

 compost being well meliorated, will be worked up and mixed with 

 the natural soil. 



