96 THE FRUIT GARDEN 



already exist) at the base of the border. It should empty itself at some con- 

 venient point of lower level. If the subsoil should prove to consist of stiff 

 clay or marl, it w^ill be necessary to concrete the bottom to prevent the roots 

 from penetrating this undesirable medium. The border must then be 3 feet 

 deep. If, on the contrary, the substratum should be of sandstone or chalk, 

 no concrete is necessary ; if it is found to consist of a good bed of gravel or 

 sand no other drainage will be necessary, neither would the main drain spoken 

 of be required. Artificial drainage, however, must be provided in most cases, 

 and the best way to secure this (after the main drain has been laid down) is by 

 laying 4-inch pipes at the bottom of the border, 4 feet apart, obliquely towards 

 the lower end of the main drain, and emptying into it. The bottom of the 

 border should be so formed, that there is a fall of at least 6 inches towards 

 the main drain. The pipes should be covered with a layer of broken bricks, 

 stones, or such rough material as is at hand, and will carry water away rapidly. 

 I have no hesitation in condemning the making of large rich borders for the 

 planting of young fruit trees of any kind. Under this system I know they 

 will make remarkable growth for the first year or two, but this is at the 

 sacrifice of permanent success. The border I recommend should be first made 

 5 feet wide — 3 feet wide mside, and 2 feet outside ; the front wall must be 

 arched to allow of the roots spreading both inside and out. In commencing 

 to form the border place turves grass-side downwards over the drainage, and 

 build turf walls at the limits of the 5 feet wide border ; they should be parallel 

 to the wall of the house and 2^ feet high. 



The Soil. — The border should be formed of fairly heavy loam cut from 

 old pasture land. This should be stacked long enough to destroy the grass 

 roots, and no longer ; a couple of months will suffice. When preparing the 

 turf for the border it should be chopped into pieces about 5 inches square, 

 and to each cartload of loam add a barrow-load of road scrapings, and the same 

 quantity of old mortar rubble, broken bricks, and a bag of ^-inch bones. 

 I may here draw attention to a matter which has an important bearing on the 

 successful cultivation of the peach tree, and, indeed, I may say on all stone 

 fruits, that is, the necessity of the soil in which they are grown having a 

 liberal mixture of lime in its composition. This compost should be turned 

 over several times, and when well mixed placed loosely in the border between 

 the two turf walls. The soil must not be prepared when wet, nor should 

 it be very dry ; it must be moistened if necessary to make it friable. Pre- 

 suming that the border is ready to receive the young trees, the next thing 

 to do is to find out how many trees will be required to fill the space at com- 

 mand. We will suppose that it is decided to plant the house as recommended, 

 namely, the back wall and front trellis, and as good trained trees can be had 

 for a few shillings, I would advise that tall standard trees be planted against 

 the back wall, say, at 10 feet apart, with dwarf fan-trained trees between 

 them ; a border should have been prepared for them in the manner advised for 

 the front border. By planting the standard and dwarf trees together, the wall 

 will be covered in two or three years with fruitful trees. Previous to planting, 

 a wire trellis should be fixed to the back wall. The wires (not galvanised) 



