The Choice of a Place 1 1 



And it will, in point of economy, do away with some, at least, 

 of the necessity for artificial drainage. 



Lest this conclusion, however, should be unduly appropri- 

 ated, it may be well to state that it applies only to garden 

 ground and to the site of a residence; and that, even for the 

 former, any extreme of lightness or sandiness will be apt to 

 occasion withered grass in the summer and the necessity for 

 increased manuring in the kitchen garden. For all farming 

 purposes a moderately heavy land is decidedly preferable, 

 as, if properly drained and carefully worked, it will yield far 

 more abundant crops at a much lighter expense in the way 

 of manure. 



6. Boundaries. — With respect to the shape or outUne of 

 a small place, that form is most suitable which is simple, free 

 from all acutely angular corners and any great irregularities. 

 A place that has many angles or a very broken outline is 

 less capable of being made either useful or ornamental, and 

 requires a larger amount of fencing, which is always expen- 

 sive. Very narrow pieces of land are also to be avoided, as 

 affording no scope for variety of treatment and presenting 

 the hard boundary lines too prominently. 



That boundary is unquestionably the best which is com.- 

 posed of pretty regular lines and brings the whole into a 

 somewhat oblong figure, of which the greatest length is north 

 and south, or nearly so, the length being about one-third 

 greater than the breadth. Such a shape is particularly 

 adapted for the geometrical style of gardening. In the freer 

 EngUsh manner a little more irregularity of outline might 

 be preferable. If the southerly end of such a plot be the 

 broadest, this will be a decided merit generally, as it will 

 afford a wider range of view and make the whole appear 

 larger from the best windows of the house. 



A nearly triangular figure, the narrow end of which is cut 



