54 MY HANDKERCHIEF GARDEN. 



Strawberry, currant and grape. These would give 

 something for the table from early summer till late in 

 the fall, excepting for about three weeks in August 

 and September._ This gap might be filled by rasp- 

 berries and blackberries, but these plants would be 

 unsuitable for so small a place. 



In order to utilize your space to the utmost advan- 

 tage and to place 3'our crops in the best aspect, they 

 should be arranged in the following order : First 

 (supposing your plot to lie north and south) comes 

 the rhubarb at the north or warmest end, as it is the 

 first thing to start in the spring and needs the benefit 

 of the sun and shelter. Next, the asparagus, then 

 the strawberries, and, lastly, at the south or shady 

 end, the currants, as they will submit more gracefn.lly 

 to the shadows than any of the others. The grapes 

 will extend along the fence on each side. The ac- 

 companying diagram shows how the different crops 

 may be mapped out. At the northern end next the 

 fence is a bed three feet wide the whole width of the 

 lot. This will contain five plants of rhubarb. Two 

 paths, each two feet wide and placed three feet from 

 the side fences, give access to the other beds. Be- 

 tween the paths and next the rhubarb bed is a space 

 15x15 feet that may be set out as a permanent aspara- 

 gus bed, the plants standing in rows three feet apart. 

 Next to this is a space 15x25 feet that should be set 

 out with strawberry plants, placed one foot apart 

 each way, there being room for three hundred and 

 fifty plants. South of these is room for a dozen cur-' 

 rant bushes, in three rows of four each. At the sides 

 are the grape borders, three feet wide the whole 

 length of the lot, there being room for sixteen vines, 

 eight on each side. 



This arrangement of the lot will give the greatest 

 space to the plants and the least trouble in caring for 



