adapted to Scotland. 317 



the necessity of draining, and yet he says the discussion of a systematic mode 

 of draining would be foreign to the subject; but he refers the reader to Mr. 

 Elkington's method: and a writer on cottage-gardening, at the close of 1841, 

 when giving directions how to lay out and plant such gardens as would suit 

 the labouring man, never says one word on the subject ; yet many a cottager 

 and gardener suffers a yearly loss from the want of it. It is a melancholy thing 

 to see a poor man spending his strength, and his time and manure, upon a. 

 piece of ground that seldom repays his labour ; when a few drains, properly 

 executed, would render his work more easy, and double the production of his 

 ground. I can speak from experience and observation, when I say that many 

 gentlemen's gardens in Scotland are but partially drained, and I could point 

 out many evils which, in my opinion, have their origin in no other cause. 



When the piece of ground intended for the garden is fixed upon, let any 

 hollows be filled up, and the surface brought to the required slope. If the 

 soil or subsoil be of a stiff nature, let it be properly drained. Very little extra 

 expense will do it, and in a year or two it will be repaid ; when the possessor 

 of the garden will have satisfaction for life. There are some light soils, placed 

 upon a gravelly subsoil, which will require no draining; but such situations 

 are not very numerous in Scotland, in comparison with stiff soils and tilly 

 bottoms. It does not often occur that a bit of ground is what, in common 

 language, is called a dead level ; the eye will soon discover in what direction 

 the water will run. When that is ascertained, let a main drain be thrown out 

 a few feet from the fence at the lowest part of the ground ; a number of 

 parallel drains should then be brought into it according to the nature of the 

 soil ; if very stiff, they should not be more than 10 or 12 feet apart ; where the 

 soil is peaty, 15 or 20 feet apart will do ; but there is scarcely any fear of over- 

 doing the thing. The drains should be 2\ ft. deep, if possible, and as narrow as 

 they can be made; this will save materials in filling them. They are generally 

 filled to within 18 in. of the top, and found to answer very well. Turf will 

 probably be got near at hand to cover the stones of the drains, and prevent 

 the earth from getting between them. 



In trenching, care should be taken not to bury the soil too deep ; if the 

 subsoil be of a retentive nature, none of it should come to the surface at 

 first, but it should be well loosened in the trench. This will help it greatly, 

 and prepare it for coming to the surface at some future period. 



How the garden ought to be laid out will depend much upon the shape of 

 the ground. It is no uncommon thing for road-side cottages to be built in the 

 corner of a field, forming an acute angle ; at other times we find them on 

 gentle eminences, with the ground sloping to the margin of a small stream. 

 Many a plan could be given for cottage gardens ; but, if we are to bear in 

 mind that "ground should first be considered with an eye to its peculiar 

 character," then, we think, the square or the parallelogram, where they can 

 be obtained, will do very well, and answer the purpose for which it is in- 

 tended. I will confine myself chiefly to the kitchen-garden, believing that 

 you will recommend the site of the cottage to be far enough from the road 

 side to allow room for the planting of trees and shrubs for shelter and orna- 

 ment. In a garden somewhat less than an acre, I would have on the south 

 side of the north wall, a short distance from the trees, a number of bee- 

 hives; in some seasons they yield a considerable profit to those who under- 

 stand the management of them. In front of the bee-hives I would place 

 a flower-border, which might be made very ornamental, and also useful. 

 Abundance of early-flowering plants could be planted in it, of which the 

 bees would profit. They might also be arranged in such a manner that 

 the outlines of some system of botany might be imparted to the cottager 

 and his family ; for it is but right that they should be made acquainted 

 with that delightful science. It is not from inability to understand it, but 

 from a deficient system of education, that so much knowledge is kept back 

 from the working classes of the community. In front of the flower-border 

 I would have a piece of turfed ground, the grass intended to be kept 



