GAR 



GAR 



^should not exceed six or eight feet in 

 .breadth. 



In some cases it is the practice lo have the 

 edges of the border made firm and even, and 

 planted with dwarf box, or some other plant 

 made use of for the purpose; but as these sorts 

 ■of edgings are very liable to be destroyed in 

 different places by wheeling over them, and by 

 .that means become unsightly, it is probably a 

 better method to only have the edges of the 

 border made up firm and even, close to the 

 gravel of the walks. 



There should be a walk introduced on the 

 sides of the borders all round, and likewise in 

 the middle, where the ground is of considerable 

 extent. Cross walks are also necessary where 

 the garden has a great length. But as walks 

 take up much ground, there should be as few as 

 possible. Those on the sides of the borders need 

 not have more breadth than from four to six 

 feet ; but the middle ones should be seven feet 

 wide, in order that a cart may be admitted when 

 necessary. 



It is also necessary to have walks about two 

 feet or two feet and a half wide, and the same 

 distance from the walls, where there are wall- 

 trees, for the convenience of pruning, training, 

 and nailing, as well as that of gathering the fruit, 

 and admitting a barrow or garden-engine for 

 watering them. 



And besides these permanent walks, when the 

 gardens are of much extent, trodden path-walks 

 will be requisite in different parts, for the con- 

 venience of cultivation, and as divisions be- 

 tween the crops. 



All the first sort of walks should be laid out 

 in a regular manner, and be firmly made up with 

 brick rubbish, stone-masons' chippings, or some 

 other coarse material, and neatly gravelled over. 

 For this last purpose binding-sand answers ex- 

 tremely well, also good clean sifted road drift, as 

 they may be readily kept clean by the hoe and 

 ■rake ; but sea-coal ashes are preferred by some, 

 as being still more dry and firm, more easily 

 kept in- order, and cleaner to walk upon in 

 thaws, as well as useful, while new and rough, in 

 preventing slugs from travelling over them from 

 the different quarters. 



The narrow walks on the back sides of the 

 borders, near the fruit-trees, need not be laid 

 with any sort of coarse rubbish, being merely 

 covered over to the depth of a few inches with 

 sand or sea-coal ashes; as by this means the 

 ground may be occasionally dug up, and the 

 paths relaid. 



Whatever sort of material is made use of in 

 forming the walks, it should be spread in a 

 neat even manner, so as to leave them in a re- 



gular moderate convex or rounded form, by 

 which the water will be readily carried off to the 

 sides, and the walks kept perfectly dry. Alter 

 the surface material has been thus' applied, and 

 evenly raked over, it should be firmly rolled 

 down by a heavy iron roller, and occasionally 

 repeated after being well moistened with rain. 



Sometimes walks are laid with turf or sward ; 

 but this is a very improper material, as beinti 

 troublesome to keep in order, and soon rendered 

 disagreeable to the sight by being wheeled and 

 trampled upon. 



In building the walls of kitchen-gardens, 

 when the height is considerable, the foundation 

 should be from two to two bricks and a half in 

 thickness, and the offset not more than one 

 brick above the height of the level of the border, 

 being then brought to a brick and half in thick- 

 ness : when they are extensive they should be 

 strengthened and supported by piersatthedistanct 

 of from forty to sixty feet, according to their height. 

 The projection of these piers should not be more 

 than about half a brick before the surface of the 

 wall. Walls for fruit-trees should always, if 

 possible, be built of brick, as stone is found not 

 by any means so favourable to the maturation 

 of the fruit, and far more inconvenient in the 

 nailing of the trees. The manner of construct- 

 ing hot-walls for bringing fruit forward by arti- 

 ficial heat will be described hereafter. See Hot- 

 Wall. 



Some advise projecting copings of stone or 

 wood to be fixed upon the tops of the walls ; 

 and the author of the " Philosophy of Garden- 

 ing" conceives that they may be of great utility 

 in the early vernal months in preventing the 

 tender young shoots of fruit-trees from being 

 destroyed by frost, as, from their being less im- 

 bued with the night-dews in consequence of 

 them, they will be less exposed to danger from 

 that cause ; it being well ascertained that the 

 fine shoots of vegetables are most exposed to the 

 destruction of frost when in a moist state. 



Mr. Forsyth does not however approve of 

 such fixed copings, especially when they pro- 

 ject so far as is usually the case; moveable 

 wooden ones fastened by iron hooks to pieces 

 of wood built into the tops of the walls being 

 in his opinion preferable. Besides, they are use- 

 ful to fix nettings, &c. to in the early spring for 

 protecting the trees with. When fixed copings 

 are adopted, they should not, he thinks, extend 

 above an inch on each side the wall, as the 

 slight projection will be sufficient to preserve it, 

 and at the same time not prevent the dews and 

 rains from falling upon the upper parts of the 

 trees, by which they are greatly benefited. 

 Copings are sometimes formed of a sort ef 

 3 E 2 



