BOOK I. 



EXTENT. 



457 



417 



K 



an easy manner. If quite flat, it seldom can be laid sufficiently dry ; and if very steep, 

 it is worked under many disadvantages. It may have a fall, however, of a foot in twenty, 

 without being very inconvenient, but a fall of a foot in thirty is most desirable, by which 

 the ground is sufficiently elevated, yet not too much so. (Calendar, p. 6.) 



2392. An exposure declining towards the south, is that approved of by Switzer, " but not 

 more than six inches in ten feet. Two or three inches he considers better." (Pract. 

 Fruit Gard. 2d edit. p. 17.) 



2393. An open aspect to the east, Abercrombie observes, " is itself a point of capital 

 importance in laying out a garden, or orchard, on account of the early sun. When the 

 sun can reach the garden at its rising, and continue a regular influence, increasing as the 

 day advances, it has a gradual and most beneficial effect in dissolving the hoar frost, which 

 the past night may have scattered over young buds, leaves, and blossoms or setting fruit. 

 On the contrary, when the sun is excluded from the garden till about ten in the morning, 

 and then suddenly darts upon it, with all the force derived from considerable elevation, 

 the exposure is bad, particularly for fruit-bearing plants, in the spring months ; the 

 powerful rays of heat at once melt the icy particles, and immediately acting on the 

 moisture thus created, scald the tender blossom, which drops as if nipped by a malignant 

 blight ; hence it happens, that many a healthy tree, with a promising show of blossoms, 

 fails to produce fruit ; the blossoms and thawed frost sometimes falling together in the 

 course of a morning. The covering of the hoar frost, or congealed dew, is otherwise of 

 itself a remarkable preservative of the vegetable creation from frosty winds." (Pract. 

 Gard. p. 1.) 



2394. An exposure in which is a free admittance for 

 the sun and air, is required by Forsyth, who rejects a 

 place surrounded by woods as very improper, because 

 a foul stagnant air is very unfavorable to vegetation ; 

 and it is also observed that blights are much more fre- 

 quent in such situations than in those that are more 

 open and exposed. Such an exposure will generally 

 be to the south (Jig. 417. d, e\ but much depends on 

 the surrounding scenery. For this reason the northern 

 boundary of a garden, where the hot-beds are gene- 

 rally placed, will admit most sun and air, in proportion to the open space, when of 

 a rounded (as in Jig. 417. d, e], rather than an angular form; especially if the 

 plantation (Jig. 418. a), which 



surrounds the garden gradu- 

 ally decline in height as it 

 approaches the hot-bed ground 

 (6) , on the north, and the sur- 

 rounding walk (c), on the other 

 sides. 



2395. If there be any slo]>e 

 in the area of a garden, Mar- 

 shall considers " it should be 

 southward, a point to the east 

 or west not much signifying; 

 but not to the north, if it can 

 be avoided, because crops come 

 in late, and plants do not 



stand the winter so well in 

 such a situation. A garden 

 with a northern aspect has, 

 however, its advantages, being 

 cooler for some summer pro- 

 ductions, as strawberries, spring- 

 sown cauliflowers, &c. ; there- 

 fore, to have a little ground 

 under cultivation, so situated, is 

 desirable, especially for late suc- 

 cession-crops." (Introd. to Gard. 

 5th edit. p. 8.) 



SECT. III. Extent. 



2396. The extent of the kitchen-garden must be regulated by that of the place, of the 

 family, and of their style of living. In general, it may be observed, that few country, 

 seats have less than an acre, or more than twelve acres in regular cultivation as kitchen- 

 garden, exclusive of the orchard and flower-garden. From one and a half to five acres 



