124 



CASSELL'S POPULAR GAEDENING. 



than benefit fi'om its direct power of protection, 

 y ery higli walls are apt to add to the destructive 

 power of spring frosts by the additional stillness 

 they give to the enclosed area of air, this stillness 

 increasing the energy of radiation. 



Hence, too, the vital importance of choosing 

 rolling or uneven ground for the fruit garden, 

 where that is practicable. The air is less stagnant 

 on such surfaces, and hence rolling ground not 

 merely imparts variety but brings safety to the 

 fruit garden. Hence much of the labour and ex- 



to obtain the full force of the sun on the south wall 

 either before or after noon, as desired — is the most 

 convenient for working and the most economical for 

 enclosing with walls. The nearer the fruit garden 

 approaches to a square, the shorter the wall needed 

 to enclose any given area. With a view also of 

 securing the largest possible amount of the most 

 genial wall-space, the length of the garden from 

 east to west should be as much again, or as five to 

 three, of its width from north to south. This will 

 furnish a maximimi extent of south wall, which 



Fig. 1.— Plan foe a Fruit Garden. 

 1, Walks ; 2, Fruit-tree Borders ; 3, Beds for Fruit-trees. 



pense incurred in making fruit gardens level is not 

 seldom worse than wasted. G-ardens on the flat or 

 a regular hanging slope may be more easily culti- 

 vated, but they are seldom so fruitful as those on 

 the side of a rolling hill, with a gentle inclination 

 to the sunny south or genial west. 



The accompanying ground-plan of a fruit garden 

 is one of many plans that may be adopted. It is 

 not desirable to slavishly adhere to any particular 

 arrangement, though the pleasures and profits of 

 most fruit gardens are in direct ratio to the fore- 

 sight and skill brought to bear on their planning 

 and culture. 



In most cases some form of square — parallelogram, 

 rhombus, or rhomboid, the two latter long squares, 

 8et out of square, or rather out of the meridian, so as 



is the most valuable for the culture of Peaches, 

 Nectarines, Grape-vines, and Figs. According to 

 locality, these walls may be direct south at noon, 

 or at 11 a.m., or 1 p.m. These apparently slight 

 changes tend to moderate or regulate the heat on 

 the southern walls, and to make both the east and 

 west walls more generally useful for the culture of 

 the better sorts of fruit, such as Peaches, Plums. 

 Pears, Apricots, Cherries, &c. 



The question of the proper aspect of the fi'uit gar- 

 den is almost as important, where the fruit garden is 

 not enclosed with walls ; as climate is very largely 

 determined by aspect, and difierences in temperature 

 varying from b° to 10'' may often be fcHind within a 

 few yards. Such difierences may arise from shelter 

 or the lack of it, the inclination, drainage, character. 



