16 



SITUATION, SOIL, 



[chap. 



27. A great deal more is done by the fermentation of manures 



than people generally imagine : the shovellings of grass and turf 

 from the sides of roads ; weeds or roots of weeds raked off from a 

 field ; these laid in a gi eat heap and turned frequently during the 

 year, having ashes (of wood), lime, rags, salt in a small proportion, 

 mixed with the rest of the heap, made excellent manure. Provision 

 of manure like this ought to be made, one heap being always ready 

 to succeed another. As to salt, however, which is now so easy 

 to be obtained, and which is perhaps the cheapest manure of all, 

 care must be taken that the proportion of it be not too great. 

 About thirty bushels, perhaps would be enough for the whole exte;it 

 of the garden at one time : and the best way would be, at the 

 outset, to put this thirt}' bushels into a heap of stuff consisting 

 of about a hundred cart-loads, mix the whole well together bv 

 turning it several times, and manure the ground all over before the 

 plantnig or sowing is begun. Afterwards new heaps would ])e 

 formed, and the same proportion of salt might be used. Anv other 

 general manuring might not be wanted : the hot-beds would pro- 

 duce a great deal : and even with this hot-bed dung, some salt 

 might be mixed : not, hov\-ever, with a \iew of destroying worais, 

 as some people imagine it to do : for it will destrov M'onns onlv 

 when it is used in sufficient quantities to destroy plants, which 

 it \nll do most effectually and most speedily, if, in its unmixed 

 state, it come at their roots. I shall, hereafter, have to speak 

 about manuring for different plants ; and having made these 

 general obsen"ations on the subject, I now proceed to speak of the 

 funii and extent of the garden. 



FORM AND EXTENT OE THE GARDEN. 



28. It is desirable to have as much wall facing the south as you 

 possiblv can have, without incurring inconvej^iences which would 

 attend a long narrow slip. A.t least, it is desirable to have a 

 sood portion of wall facing in that direction. If the garden be 

 already foraied, you must keep what you have got ; but if you 

 have to choose, it ought to be more exten-ive from east to west 

 than from north to south : an oblong square is the proper form ; 

 and it verv conveniently happens that the proportions ought to be 

 much about those of one of the sides of this book, when neatly 



