286 



HORTICULTURE. 



Truffle 



Kitchen his Flora Scolica, considers as the mousseron of the 



Garden.^ French ; but their mousseron is A. virgineus of Per- 



""Y"" soon, a fleshy species, nearly of a pure white colour, 



while our plant is coriaceous and buff-coloured. 



Truffles and Morels. 



These have already been described under the article 

 FUNGI, and are figured in Plate LXXV. of this work. 



455. The Tniffle, or subterraneous puff-ball, ( Tuber 

 cibarium,) is one of the best of the esculent fungi. It 

 grows naturally in different parts of Britain, but is 

 most common in the downs of Wiltshire, Hampshire, 

 and Kent, where dogs are trained to scent it out; 

 the plant growing and coming to perfection some 

 inches below the surface. The dogs point out the 

 spot by scraping and barking, and the truffles (for 

 several generally grow together) are dug up with a 

 spade. They are principally sent to Covent Garden 

 market. No attempt, it is believed, has hitherto been 

 made to cultivate truffles ; but of the practicability of 

 the thing, there seems no reason to doubt. In their 

 habits of growth, indeed, they differ essentially from 

 the mushroom ; but it is certainly possible to accom- 

 modate the soil and other circumstances to the peculiar 

 nature of the fungus. It has been said, that the tu- 

 bercles on the surface of truffles are analogous to the 

 eyes or buds of potatoes, and that they have been pro- 

 pagated, like potatoes, by means of cuts furnished with 

 tubercles : it may however be suspected, that the pieces 

 thus planted contained ripe seeds. Truffles, we may 

 add, seem to delight in a mixture of clay and sand ; 

 and a moderate degree of bottom heat, such as is af- 

 forded by a spent hot-bed, might probably forward 

 their vegetation. 



456. The Morel (Phallus esculentus, L. ; Helvella 

 esculenla of Sowerby, and Morckella esculenta of Per- 

 soon) rises, in the spring months, generally in woods, 

 but sometimes on commons. It frequently appears for 

 sale in Covent Garden market in May and June ; but 

 it has never been cultivated. The cultivation of mo- 

 rels, however, would probably be more easily accom- 

 plished than that of truffles. Morels are used either 

 fresh or dried, commonly as an ingredient to heighten 

 the flavour of gravies or ragouts. If intended for keep- 

 ing, they should not be collected when wet with dew, 

 nor soon after rain ; if gathered in a dry state, they may 

 be kept for many months. 



Having treated at great length of the Kitchen Garden 

 and of culinary plants suited to our climate, we now 

 turn to the Flower Garden ; and here we shall study 

 brevity as much as possible. 



MorcL 



FLOWER 

 0ABMV* 



FLOWER GARDEN. 



457. THE flower garden, it has been already obser- 

 ved, 55. has a separate situation, generally at some 

 distance from the fruit and kitchen garden. It should 

 indeed form an ornamental appendage to the mansion, 

 and be easily accessible in all kinds of weather. There 

 is no objection to the flower garden being seen from the 

 windows of the house : on the contrary, this is some- 

 times considered as desirable. In some places, the 

 flower garden consists of parterres of various shapes, 

 generally curved, separated from each other by little 



grass lawns. Such insulated parterres look very well Flower 

 from the windows of the house ; the turf, in our moist Garden, 

 climate, being always of a lively green, and forming a """Y"" 1 '' 

 fine contrast with the dressed ground, and with the 

 gay hues of the flowers. But for many days in the 

 year these grass-girt parterres are inaccessible to the 

 proprietors, more especially to ladies, it being impos- 

 sible to pass along the turf without getting wet, at 

 times when well made gravel walks are comfortably 

 dry. Wherever, therefore, this kind of flower garden 

 amidst turf is formed, there should be another, which 

 may be considered ns the -winter garden, and which 

 may contain one or more of the glazed houses for pre- 

 serving plants. 



In many cases the flower garden is defended by low 

 walls or by close pales, covered by shrubs. If there 

 be little room, they may be concealed by a single row 

 of some evergreen, such as phillyrea, alaternus, pyra- 

 cantha, laurustinus, or tree-box. The wall on the north 

 side of the garden, however, is in some places used for 

 a double purpose ; the more tender kind of shrubs be- 

 ing trained against it on the south aspect. In situa- 

 tions where a wall would be unsuitable, an " invisible 

 fence" of wire is employed, this proving sufficient to 

 exclude hares and rabbits, while it nowise offends the 

 eye, and scarcely interrupts the view. Evergreen 

 hedges, of laurel, yew or holly, make excellent fences, 

 especially if united with a sunk fence. 



458. The shape and size of the flower garden can be 

 regulated only by the taste and the means of the own- 

 er. If the eye embrace the whole at once, the garden 

 should evidently be of some regular figure. But if the 

 size be considerable, it is advantageous that the ground 

 should be unequal in surface, and irregular in shape. 

 In general, a greenhouse, conservatory and stove, should 

 form prominent objects in different parts of it: it should 

 abound with evergreen trees and shrubs, so as to main- 

 tain its verdure even at midwinter ; the principal bor- 

 ders should be destined for mingled perennial flowers, 

 of the most ornamental kinds ; a few may be devoted 

 to showy annuals ; and particular beds should be ap- 

 propriated for the different kinds of flowering bulbs, 

 as well as for pinks, polyanthuses, and auriculas. 

 These borders and beds, it may be remarked, should 

 be so placed, that from the windows of the house, or 

 from the principal entrance of the garden, they may be 

 seen across or laterally, so that the colours of the flow- 

 ers may appear in mass, without being broken by the 

 alleys. 



A rock-work is generally formed ; and if the situa- 

 tion admit of it, or if curiosity in plants be indulged 

 in, a small piece of water for aquatics is proper. A 

 circular or oval plat is commonly devoted to a collection 

 of roses ; and a damp border with peat soil is set apart 

 as an " American ground." One of the walks is often 

 arched over with strong wire or with slight spars, on 

 which climbing shrubs may be trained, so as to form a 

 berceau. Covered seats of various kinds are construct, 

 ed, under the names of heath and moss houses, ar- 

 bours, and grottoes. If, however, the garden be re- 

 gular in surface, bowers of light lattice- work, cover- 

 ed with climbing plants, are to be preferred. In very 

 few places do fountains or statues now enter into the 

 composition of the flower garden ; and urns, busts, or 

 inscriptions, are not to be introduced without caution. 

 Taking it for granted that the flower garden should 

 have a ready communication with the principal gravel- 

 walks near the house, and also with those leading to 

 the shrubberies ; and likewise that it is extremely de- 



