CHAPTER VIII. 
BORDER WORK AND IRRIGATION. 
It is rather difficult to define the meaning of the word 
‘‘border,’’ as used by American gardeners, since the term is 
somewhat elastic in its application. 
In general it may be said to mean any small piece of 
ground exposed to the air and sun which is not a part of the 
open field. It is not glass-covered, and it is usually sheltered 
by a building, fence, wall or hedge, so that it cannot be 
swept by cold winds. The north and west are the direc- 
tions from whence come the cold, drying winds of February 
and March; winds which cause so much destruction to the 
canes of raspberries, blackberries and the like, and which 
are really more hostile to vegetable life than severe cold itself. 
A border, therefore, may be described as a piece of warm, 
sheltered, out-of-doors soil. The richer the soil the better 
for its purpose. It may be so small as to be worked with 
the spade, or so large as to require the plow. 
The ordinary border is merely a small, warm, sunny bit 
of rich, dark mould, which dries off quickly in spring by 
reason of its location, its good drainage, and its exposure to 
the sun. 
On the other hand, we see some quite extensive borders 
in the fence protected enclosures of the large market gardeners. 
Border work is so intimately associated with under glass 
operations that the subject must be mentioned in this little 
book. Part of the work of the cold frame and most of the 
work of the ordinary hot bed is done with a view to spring 
operations in the open air; and as every day in early spring 
counts for so much it is necessary to join the glass work and 
the open air work as closely as possible. The border is the 
connecting link. 
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