10 



SITUATION, SOIL, 



[chap. 



almost every garden plant and tree ; and, therefore, if I could avoid 

 it, I would always have some part of a garden not upon the slope. 

 Slopes are excellent for early brocoli, early cabbages, winter 

 spinage, onions to stand the winter, artichokes to come early, early 

 peas, early beans, and various other things ; but there ought to be 

 some part of the garden upon a true level ; for, when the month 

 of June comes, that is the part of the garden which will be 

 flourishing. 



18. As to shelter, hills, buildings, lofty trees, all serve for the 

 purpose ; but the lofty trees ought not to stand too near. They 

 ought not to shade by any means and none of their leaves ought 

 to drop into the garden. Leaves from such trees, blown into the 

 garden by high winds, are merely a temporary inconvenience ; but 

 shade would do injury, though, perhaps, if not too deep, counter- 

 balanced by the warmth and the shelter that the trees would aflbrd. 



19. Before I quit this subject of Situation, I cannot refrain 

 from attempting to describe one kitchen-garden in England, to 

 behold which is well worth the trouble and expense of a long 

 journey, to any person who has a taste in this way : I mean 

 that of Mr. Henry Drummond, at Albury, in the county of 

 Surrey. This garden is, in my opinion, nearly perfection, as far 

 as relates to situation and form. It is an oblong square ; the 

 wall on the north side is close under a hill ; that hill is crowned 

 with trees which do not shade the garden. There is a flat, or 

 terrace in the front of this wall. This terrace consists, first, of a 

 border for the fruit-trees to grow in, next of a broad and beau- 

 tiful gravel walk, then, if I recollect rightly, of a strip of short 

 grass. About the middle of the length, there is a large basin sup- 

 plied with water from a spring coming out of the hill, and always 

 kept full. The terrace is supported, on the south side of it, by 

 a wall that rises no higher than the top of the earth of the 

 terrace. Then comes another flat, running all the way along ; this 

 flat is a broad walk, shaded completely by two row s of yew-trees, 

 the boughs of which form an arch over it : so that, here, in this 

 kitchen-garden, there are walks for summer as well as for winter : 

 on the gravel-walk you are in the sun, sheltered from every wind ; 

 and, in the yew-tree walk, you are completely shaded from the 

 sun in the hottest day in summer. From the yew-tree walk the 

 ground slopes gently down towards the brook which runs towards 

 Sheer through Albury, down to Chilworth ; where, after sup- 



