140 



FRUIT BORDERS. 



The best aspect for a g-arden is when so laid out 

 as that the sun shall shine directly up the middle 

 Avalk at eleven o'clock before noon. The Diorning 

 heat of the sun being more enlivening to every plant, 

 than from any other quarter. 



On the Formation of Fruit Borders. 



The author is anxious to state his opinions on this 

 part of the gardener's business, because he has often 

 seen much unnecessary labour and money thrown 

 away for no rational purpose; and has read also 

 very absurd directions given in books for the making 

 fruit borders, which had better never been printed. 



In the first place it should be understood, that if 

 the garden has a good staple of fresh loamy soil of 

 the depth of eighteen inches, on a dry subsoil of hard 

 pure gravel or rock, no extra making or preparing 

 the border is necessary, except trenching, and laying 

 it in proper form. No border should be made deeper 

 than one foot and a half. In excavating the bottom 

 there is danger lest it become a reservoir for water, 

 which without such a piece of ditching w^ould not be 

 attracted there at all. If the subsoil be any kind of 

 clay or earth retentive of water, it is not well to 

 disturb it, unless any water lodging in the excavation 

 can be speedily drained away. On such a substratum, 

 it is better to raise the border to the requisite depth 

 by a proper soil brought on, than to sink the bottom. 

 If the bottom be naturally wet, either from its quality 

 or situation, it should be effectually drained; and 

 some pains should be taken to prevent the roots 



