78 THE PLEASURE, OR [Jan. 



their own natural growth, and branch out into full heads, only just 

 giving a little occasional trimming to any very irregular growths, 

 such as retrenching or reducing any very luxuriant rude shoots, 

 or considerable ramblers running wildly from all the other branches. 

 Cut out all dead wood and keep all the shrubs from entangling 

 with one another, so as the head of each shrub may appear distinct, 

 and show itself to proper advantage. 



The ground of the principal shrubbery plantations, in which the 

 shrubs stand distant, not covering the surface, should be digged 

 every year, late in autumn, or in spring, previously giving the 

 shrubs any necessary pruning as above observed; this operation 

 gives health and vigour to the plants, kills weeds, and gives the 

 place an air of culture, and a lively neat appearance. 



After this general digging, the ground must be kept clean from 

 weeds all summer, by occasional hoeing in dry weather, which with 

 a scuffling-hoe may be expeditiously performed. 



Particular care must be taken of the flower borders, &c; they 

 must be neatly and carefully dug in autumn, and pointed and 

 dressed afresh in spring, and according as the various plants grow 

 up, let such as need support have sticks placed to preserve them 

 upright; and as the herbaceous perennials and annuals have done 

 flowering and their stalks decay, cut them clown close, clearing oft* 

 all decayed leaves and other rubbish. 



All kinds of hedge-work and detached trained figures of ever- 

 greens should be clipped twice a year — that is to say, in June and 

 in September, for without this, they will not have that neat, hand- 

 some appearance that inspires admiration and does credit to the 

 person under whose care they are. 



For further particulars, see the work under this head in the differ- 

 ent months. 



The Flower Garden. 



A commodious piece of good ground for a flower garden, situated 

 in a convenient and well-sheltered place, and well exposed to the 

 sun and air, ought to be allotted for the culture of the more curious 

 and valuable flowers. 



The form of this ground may be either square, oblong, or some- 

 what circular, having the boundary embellished with a collection 

 of the most curious flowering shrubs; the interior part should be 

 divided into many narrow beds, either oblong, or in the manner of 

 a parterre; but plain four feet wide beds arranged parallel, having 

 two feet wide alleys between bed and bed will be found most con- 

 venient, yet to some not the most fanciful. 



In either method a walk should be carried round the outward 

 boundary, leaving a border to surround the whole ground, and with- 

 in this, to have the various divisions or beds raising them generally 

 in a gently rounding manner, edging such as you like with dwarf- 

 box, some with trift, pinks, sisyrinchium, &c. by way of variety, 

 laying the walks and alleys with the finest gravel. Some beds may 

 be neatly edged with boards, especially such as arc intended for 

 the finer sort of bulbs, &c. 



