to Eyeisoood and Presteign. 37-9 



should be spread equally over the bottom of the border. Where 

 the subsoil is dry, of course drainage is not necessary ; and the 

 layer of stones might be reduced to 3 or 4 inches in thickness, its 

 only but highly important use being to prevent the roots from 

 penetrating deeper than their assigned boundary. Again, in 

 very wet situations, 9 or 10 inches of stones would be required to 

 insure proper drainage, thus varying the relative depth of soil 

 and stones according to local circumstances, the principle to be 

 acted upon being to keep the roots of the trees near the surface, 

 and comparatively dry. Such a bed of well-chosen soil (good 

 strong loam, without dung) would be amply sufficient for the 

 healthy maintenance of the trees ; and the roots, having plenty 

 of space for horizontal extension, would never, to any injurious 

 degree, penetrate through the substratum. Deep digging must 

 be avoided ; the borders should therefore be cropped with shallow- 

 rooting vegetables, such as lettuces, onions, turnips, &c. 



The plan I recommend may, at first sight, appear troublesome 

 and expensive, but ultimately it would be found the most econo- 

 mical, because from such borders a remunerative return of fruit 

 would be obtained, and the after cost of renewing the trees would 

 be much lessened. The premature decay of peach and apricot 

 trees, which so frequently occurs, is in a great measure owing to 

 the injudicious formation of the border they grow in, whereby a 

 bad system of roots is first induced, and then imperfectly formed 

 wood ; the next steps are disease and death. In hot-house grape 

 culture, too, seven tenths of the failures that happen arise from 

 the same cause ; for the vine, although a gluttonous feeder, dislikes 

 more than any other fruit tree to seek its food in a wet medium. 

 This subject is only lately beginning to be understood, but, on 

 account of its great importance, it deserves the especial consider- 

 ation of every gardener. * 



Boultibrook. — A short distance from the town of Presteign, 

 in Radnorshire, there is a remarkably neat little place, called 

 Boultibrook, which some years ago was remodelled, if not en- 

 tirely formed, by Sir Harford Jones Brydges, Bart., to whom 

 the property belongs. The situation of the house is exceedingly 

 well chosen, as it is placed in some open meadows which rise 

 gently from the river Lugg ; and, although in the vicinity of the 

 bleak and barren Welsh hills, the place is so well sheltered that 



* Since these remarks were written, I have read some very judicious direc- 

 tions for the formation of vine borders, in vol. xi. of the Penny Cyclopcsdia, 

 article " Grape Vine." The writer there recommends a layer of concrete, 

 *' composed of powdered unslaked lime and gravel, worked together with 

 water on the spot," to be first laid all over the bottom of the border; and after 

 this is set, " the stratum of stones, to the depth of at least 6 or 8 inches, may 

 be laid on. Some dried heath, or tough turf with the green side downwards, 

 should be laid over the stones to prevent the soil from mixing with them." — 

 J. £. W. 



c c 2 



