FORMATION OF THE FEUIT AND KITCHEN GARDEN. 



25 



When the first drain is laid into the main, the 

 latter should be laid as far as the entrance of 

 the next lateral drain, and thus the work should 

 proceed till the whole is completed to the place 

 of outfall. 



The beneficial effects of drainage greatly de- 

 pend on a law of nature, which horticulturists 

 should particularly bear in mind. It is a well- 

 known natural law that water is at its greatest 

 density, or heaviest, when its temperature is 

 about 40° Fahrenheit. Consequently, in any body 

 of water, that portion which is nearest 40° in 

 temperature will sink to the bottom, while the 

 warmer will rise and float over it. The heaviest 

 water always occupies the lowest position, and 

 will maintain it to the exclusion of the warmer 

 and lighter water, unless disturbed by force. 

 The main art and use of drainage is therefore 

 to withdraw this cold and heavy portion, so that 

 the warm summer rains may sink down and 

 occupy the place of heavy stagnant water de- 

 rived from cold winter rains or melted snow, 

 which cools the soil and chills vegetation. 



The reader should consult the chapter on 

 Tools and Implements for information as to 

 the tools required in the work of drain-con- 

 struction. 



Borders for Fruit-trees. 



In some cases the soil of a kitchen-garden is so 

 good that the fruit-tree borders require nothing 

 beyond trenching and manuring, in common 

 with the rest of the ground. But frequently 

 more than this is necessary. The soil may have 

 to be removed, and a better substituted. Occa- 

 sionally it may be found necessary to remove 

 the subsoil also to a certain depth. From these 

 considerations it will be seen that the formation 

 of the borders should precede the trenching of 

 the rest of the ground. 



Width of Fruit-tree Borders. — As a general rule 

 it has been stated that the width of the borders 

 should be equal to the height of the walls; but 

 this rule should not be implicitly followed in 

 every case. The walls of the royal gardens at 

 Frogmore are all 12 feet high, but some of the 

 borders are 15 feet, others 18 feet wide, a greater 

 width being allowed to borders for Pears than 

 those for Peaches and Nectarines, because the 

 roots of the former extend farther than those of 

 the latter. The principal consideration is the 

 extent of border necessary for affording the roots 

 sufficient nourishment. This partly depends on 

 the nature of the soil, subsoil, and the situation. 

 If the soil is rich, it will contain more nourish- 



ment in less compass than where the soil is of a 

 poorer nature. If the subsoil is bad, and the 

 situation cold, then the borders should be made 

 wide, so that the roots may be encouraged to 

 extend outwards rather than downwards. As 

 borders can be cropped, it may be urged that 

 there can be no loss of produce by making them 

 broader than the trees require. For the growth 

 of certain vegetables borders are preferable; but 

 there are others that require the ground to be 

 trenched occasionally, and this cannot be done 

 when the border is occupied with the roots of 

 fruit-trees. 



A fruit and kitchen garden of the extent of 

 1 acre, or less, may have the borders 12 feet 

 wide. If the garden contain 2 acres, the borders 

 may be 15 feet; and if more than 2 acres, they 

 may be 18 feet wide, which is the greatest 

 width that any fruit-tree border need be formed 

 under any circumstances. 



Depth of Fruit-tree Borders. — There is much 

 difference of opinion with respect to the depth 

 of fruit-tree borders. The range of depths recom- 

 mended may be said to extend from 15 inches 

 to 3 feet. Shallow borders are advocated on 

 account of their maintaining the roots near 

 the surface, and consequently more within the 

 ameliorating influences of the sun and air. 



The advantages of the air being able to reach 

 the roots of fruit-trees through an open friable 

 soil, in which the roots run at a comparatively 

 shallow depth, say 9 to 15 inches, are now well 

 known to every successful fruit-grower, these 

 being the roots upon which the crop of fruit 

 mainly, if not wholly, depends. 



Presuming that the soil is a good loam, but 

 the climate not first-rate, a depth of not more 

 than 2 \ feet is ample; and in a climate still less 

 favourable, the depth may be reduced to 2 feet; 

 or, if the subsoil as well as the climate is cold, 

 18 inches in depth will be sufficient. As borders 

 are usually formed with a slope from the wall to 

 the edge of the walk, and as this slope is generally 

 greater than that of the bottom of the border, it 

 follows that the depth of soil will be greater at 

 the wall than at the side of the border next the 

 walk. The several depths above-mentioned are 

 to be understood as mean depths; thus, where 

 the depth of soil is recommended to be 2 feet, 

 that will be the depth about half-way between 

 the wall and the side of the border next the 

 walk. 



The bottom of fruit-tree borders should have 

 a regular slope from the wall towards the walk, 

 where drainage should be provided. The amount 

 of the fall depends on the width of the border. 



