HE AMERrCAN GARDENER, 



39 



are distinguished by numbers* The long walk, 

 running from East to West, is 6 feet wide, as is 

 also the cross walk, in the middle. All the paths 

 are 3 feet wide. The borders, Nos. 2 and 3, are 9 

 feet wide. The dimensions of the Plats Nos. 5, 7, 

 8, 9, 10, and 11, are (each) 70 feet from East to 

 West and 56 from North to South. Plat, No. 6, is 

 56 feet by 50. Plat, No. 4, is 60 feet by 36. The 

 Hot-bed Ground, No, 1, is 70 feet by 36. I leave 

 trifling fractions unnoticed. In the English garden- 

 ing books, they call those parts of the garden 

 '* Quarters,'^ which I call Plats ; but, for what rea- 

 son they so call them it would be difficult to conjec- 

 ture, I call them plats, which is the proper word, 

 and a word, too, universally understood. A plat is 

 a piece of ground : and it implies, that the piece is 

 small, compared with other larger portions, such as 

 fields, lots, and the like. I will just anticipate here, 

 that when beds for asparagus, onions, and other 

 things, are made, they should run across the plats 

 from North to South ; and that rows of Corn, Peas, 

 and Beans, and other larger things in rows, should 

 have the same direction. But, when beds are sown 

 with smaller things, the rows of those things must 

 go across the beds ; as will be seen when we come 

 to speak of sowing. 



61. As to the art of La5'ing-out, it would be to 

 insult the understanding of an American Farmer to 

 suppose him to stand in need of any instructions. 

 A chain, or a line, ^n([pole, are all he can want for 

 the purpose, and those he has always at hand. To 

 form the walks and paths, is, in fact, to lay out the 

 Garden ; but, the walks and paths must be made 

 not only visible, but must be dug out. The way is 

 to take out the earth about four inches deep, and 

 spread it over the adjoining ground, some on each 



