FORMATION OF THE FRUIT AND KITCHEN GARDEN. 



21 



as the stratum, and of course will be, as at the 

 origin of the investigation, 3 feet above it. If 

 on the same level as at B, then the stratum, 

 having in the interval sloped 4 feet, will be 

 7 feet from the surface; and if the latter is 

 2 feet higher than at B, it will be 9 feet from 

 the stratum. If, on the contrary, the surface of 

 the ground fall as much as 7 feet, it will meet 

 the course of the stratum, 

 which will then, as it is 

 termed, crop out, as is the case 

 "with the porous stratum c 

 (fig. 803), after passing under 

 the elevated ground which 

 intervenes between c and A. 



Spring water, conveyed to 

 a distance through such 

 porous channels as those to 

 which we have referred, can- 

 not be too much guarded 

 against, as it may render the 

 latter not only wet, but too 

 cold in summer for most 

 kinds of garden plants. A 

 slope may face the south, and 

 be warmed by the sun, but 

 this will be to little purpose 

 if the roots are constantly 

 chilled with cold spring 

 water. In some places the 

 temperature of well-drained 

 land in the spring-time is 

 probably not higher than 

 that of spring water; but as 

 the season advances, and the 

 air temperature rises, so does 

 that of the soil. But where 

 affected by springs, the tem- 

 perature of the soil does not 

 rise in accordance with the increasing summer 

 heat, and under such conditions vegetation can- 

 not prosper. 



Various kinds of drains are formed to suit 

 different circumstances; they are either open or 

 covered. 



Open Drains. — The open drain, or ditch, was 

 doubtless the original mode of draining off 

 superfluous moisture, but it is now generally 

 superseded by covered drains. These economize 

 the ground and they are usually the cheapest, 

 open drains being apt to break down at the 

 sides, and fill up with weeds, so that much 

 expense for frequent scouring is incurred. In 

 their usual form, moreover, open drains or 

 ditches in or near gardens aie unsightly. If 

 they are in any case admitted, they should 



be made in the form of ornamental water- 

 courses and utilized for water- and bog-plants. 

 A garden with such a system of drainage is 

 shown in fig. 809. 



Covered Drains. — Some of these are formed by 

 cutting out a narrow trench and making the 

 bottom still more narrow, so that, when a thick 

 turf is put in, a cavity for the water is left at 



CALE: 200 FEET TO 1 INCH 



Fig. 800.— Site for Kitchen-Garden where there is rising wet ground north of site. The plan for 

 drainage shows how surface water is Drevented from entering kitchen-garden. The drains are con- 

 ducted to centre of garden to form a wide open ditch or canal suitable for irrigation and the culture 

 of Aquatic and Bog Plants. The kitchen-garden is also drained into canal. Example of such a centre 

 canal is at Crichel, Dorsetshire. 



the bottom; while others are filled up with 

 fagots. It is needless, however, to notice 

 these particularly, as stone or tile drains are 

 so much superior to them. 



Where suitable stones are plentiful they 

 should be used for the purpose of draining; 

 and drain tiles or pipes can be obtained of any 

 desirable shape, and at a reasonable rate, owing 

 to the improved machinery employed in their 

 manufacture. In some cases it is desirable to 

 construct stone-drains, in order to get rid of 

 stones taken out of the ground in trenching it 

 to the proper depth. They can be made to act 

 perfectly; but they may, like most kinds of 

 drains, get stopped; and when this occurs they 

 cannot be so easily taken up and relaid as tile- 

 or pipe-drains, owing to the wedging of the 



