of a S^ihiirhan Kitchen-Garde^i. 



127 



ashes in the walks; no more cleaning and rolling of gravel; 

 and no planting and 

 clipping of box edgings. 

 I should no more think of 

 planting box in a kitchen- 

 garden, than I should of 

 placing a cabbage leaf as 

 a back to a nosegay. 

 It is high time to lay aside 

 such medleys, and to 

 place articles essentially 

 ornamental in an esta- 

 blishment of their own. 

 Fig. 38, shows the ar- 

 rangement of the paving 

 and pillars at the intersec- 

 tionsof the walks, with the 

 small footpath outside, 

 for conducting the cul- 

 ture of the compartments. 

 The present article is an 

 humble but hearty attempt to combine economy of room with 

 a high degree of excellence in the articles produced ; and I trust 

 that this will be completely effected 

 by the plan proposed. If you exa- 

 mine a healthy young pear branch 

 {fg. 40.), trained horizontally on a 

 wall (for that is the fairest sample), 

 you will find, at the end of the shoot, 

 first, wood of the present year ; next 

 to that, the wood of the last year, 

 which is now forming fruitful spurs; 

 and, next to that, on the two-years- 

 old wood, you will find the fruits. 

 This is, unquestionably, the nature 

 of the pear; and, though fruit spurs 

 are produced on older wood, I have always observed the finest 

 fruits growing on maiden spurs. To make sure work, therefore, 

 I confine myself to them ; and I hope to see breast wood, as it 

 is called, converted to some better purpose than robbing the 

 fruit tree border to enrich the rubbish heap. Surely, nature 

 never meant this : neither do gardeners ; yet, assuredly, they 

 practise it. Figs. 39. and 40. will show the manner in which I 

 propose to treat the pear ti'ees in pruning; and figs. 41. and 42. 

 the peaches. Every year's wood will be kept by itself; and every 

 unnecessary leader and lateral twig removed while quite young ; 

 and not a leaf allowed to remain without a reason being found in 



38 



