KITCHEN-GARDENS 217 



The wisest course before deciding definitely upon 

 planning a kitchen-garden is to study both market-gardens 

 and private ones in different parts of this country, and 

 to note, too, any points that are serviceable in foreign 

 ones. 



For instance, the orchard market-gardens near Paris 

 contain bush and standard apples, pears, plums, and have 

 beds of strawberries in between. By arranging to have 

 raspberries, gooseberries, and currants, etc., in plantations 

 that have different aspects and positions, the time of 

 fruiting is prolonged. 



In many of the big fruit and vegetable market-gardens 

 near London, they run lines of fruit-trees from north to 

 south, and as there is sometimes trouble from over- 

 moisture, the trees are planted upon banks about eight 

 feet wide, a deep drain runs upon either side, whilst in 

 between the fruit-trees are beds of tulips or other bulbs, 

 and hundreds of spring cabbage. Small bush fruit, such 

 as raspberries, gooseberries, and currants, are planted 

 alternately in between the apples. 



Often, in a long drought, when weeks continue without 

 rain, one irrigated acre may save loss on fifty or more acres 

 that have no water ; for the price of lettuce or other 

 produce will be exceptional, and thus a large sum is made 

 upon the small bit of ground which is easily watered. 



As regards laying out a kitchen-garden upon sloping 

 ground, there is no better plan to copy than that of the 

 Italian market-garden. The land is divided into separate 

 plots, but in order to prevent water from running off them 

 to the bottom of the hill, a four- foot- wide path runs at 

 intervals across these plots and is made level The 

 water can be caught in a narrow grip or ditch before it 

 reaches the path, but, even if this has not been arranged 

 for, the mere fact of having a flat piece of ground where 

 the path is will intercept the headlong course of water 



