THE FKUIT GARDEN. 181 



loam, with a gravelly clay subsoil, and entirely free from 

 stagnant moisture. In this country, our warm summers, 

 and frequent, protracted droughts, render a deej) soil for a 

 garden absolutely necessary. Two feet is little enough, 

 and three would be still better. The means for deei3ening, 

 drying, improving, and changing the character of soils 

 have been already pointed out under the general head of 

 soils, and need not be repeated here. Suffice it to say, 

 that it will always be found true economy to be liberal in 

 the first preparation of tlie soil ; for after a garden is laid 

 out and permanently planted, improvements are always 

 made w^ith greater difficulty and expense. 



JEnclosures, — Tlie cheapest and most ordinary kind of 

 enclosure for gardens in this country, is the tight board 

 fence, and the picket or paling fence. The former should 

 be made of stout cedar j^osts, set at six feet aj)art, and 

 three or four feet in the ground, the ends being previously 

 charred to increase their durability, connected in the mid- 

 dle and on the top with cross-bars or rails which may be 



JL */ 



two by four inches. The boards should be well seasoned, 

 matched, and securely nailed to the cross-bars. Where the 

 fence is required to be higher than the posts, the boards 

 can extend above the top rail two, three, or even four 

 feet, if necessary. The picket or paling fence is made in 

 the same Avay, as far as the framework, posts, and cross- 

 bars go ; but, instead of matched boards, pickets, from 

 three to six inches w^ide, and pointed on the top, are used, 

 and a space of two inches left between each. Where the 

 proprietor can afford the expense of a brick or stone w\all, 

 it will prove the most permanent, and, in the end, the 

 cheapest enclosure. The height of the fence or wall 

 depends somewhat on the extent of the garden. In ordi- 

 nary cases, eight or ten feet is the proper height, but when 

 the garden is very small, five or six feet is enough ; and 



