124 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



Explanation and Remarks. 



The foregoing diagram is intended to repre- 

 sent a kitchen garden, comprising within its 

 limits an acre of ground, which is so divided 

 by walks as to give eight garden squares, each 

 square comprising about one-twelfth of an 

 acre or less. A half acre of ground may be 

 laid off in the same manner of course, only the 

 walks and borders should be something small- 

 er, with smaller squares, and according to the 

 same plan, a larger space might be arranged. 

 Ordinarily, however, a garden so large as this, 

 would be ample to supply a large family with 

 an abundance of vegetables, especially if it 

 were cultivated wholly with the spade and hoe, 

 as it certainly ought to be. 



G, on the diagram, represents the gate enter- 

 ing the garden, which opens upon the main 

 walk, marked m, which in our plan is seven 

 feet and a half wide, and passing entirely 

 through the garden. This avenue is intersect- 

 ed at A by another marked B, which is design- 

 ed to be five feet wide, and intersected again at 

 different points, by smaller walks, marked re- 

 spectively D, and N, each of which is two 

 and a half feet wide. The walk D, it will be 

 observed, passes entirely around the whole 

 space included in the garden proper, separating 

 the border from the squares. This border, 

 which, is of the utmost consequence, has a 

 width of five feet. The squares are numbered 

 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, G, 7 and 8, and it is by these nu- 

 merals that we shall speak of them hereafter. 



The laying off of such a garden is simple 

 enough, if one will only start right. Having 

 chosen the ground and put a suitable fence 

 around it, and graded it properly, begin with 

 the border, next to the fence and lay it off five 

 feet wide, running it by a line. Having thus 

 ascertained the border, next proceed to mark 

 the walk D two and a half feet wide, which 

 also goes entirely around the garden ; then 

 mark off the main walk M, then the walk B, 

 and then the two smaller walks and N. The 

 construction of the walks is an easy matter, 

 all that need to be done, being merely to dig 

 away the earth an inch or two at either side of 

 the walk, so as to throw the water from the 

 centre of the walks to the sides. 



While the kitchen garden, which we are de- 

 scribing, is mainly intended for the culture of 

 edible plants and roots, still a few ornamental 



plants judiciously disposed, will detract noth- 

 ing from its usefulness and add largely to its 

 attractiveness. Thus, when practicable, we 

 would edge the walks with box-edging, not only 

 for the sake of its beauty, but even more, be- 

 cause it will preserve the regularity of the edges 

 of the squares and obviate the necessity of 

 their frequent repair. It is also sometimes well 

 to plant a few choice roses or other valuable 

 plants along the line of the main walk, but 

 this must be left to the individual tastes of our 

 readers, only we must caution them not to 

 crowd so many ornamental plants into the gar- 

 den, as to interfere with its more appropriate 

 offices. As combining both ornament and util- 

 ity, we would place in the middle of our gar- 

 den, where the two chief walks intersect each 

 other, at the point marked A, an arbour of 

 grape vines. This is cheaply made, by putting 

 at the corners of squares 2, 3, 6, 7, strong ce- 

 dar posts, and placing strips of good pine or 

 any other timber that will last well. A few 

 choice grape vines, say Catawba, Norton's Seed- 

 ling, or Bland grape, planted here and proper- 

 ly tended, will give in a few years, not only a 

 well shaded arbour where madam may sit to 

 superintend the operations of the garden, but 

 also in season rich clusters of grapes to furnish 

 dessert for the table. In like manner, by mere- 

 ly putting down cedar posts, hop vines may be 

 planted just inside of the garden gate, and 

 trailed overhead, so as to form a decidedly orna- 

 mental and useful object. So much by way of 

 hints at ornamentation. 



Now for something more practical, and we 

 begin with the border, which it will be remem- 

 bered is five feet wide, and runs entirely around 

 the garden. Beginning with the border to the 

 right of the entrance, marked I, which should 

 be devoted to herbs. Here plant Balm, Tansy, 

 Parsley, Challotts, Mint, Pot Majorum, Sage, 

 Catnip, Thyme, Annis, Confrey. All these are 

 herbaceous plants, except the parsley, which 

 seeds itself from year to year, and they are, 

 without exception, highly useful, as every 

 housekeeper well knows. The border where 

 they are to be planted ought to be made very 

 rich, because when once planted they so remain 

 for years, exhausting the soil without receiving 

 much aid from the manure. True liquid ma- 

 nure may afterwards be applied, and other ma- 

 nure may be applied by carefully forking it in, 

 but it is far better in the beginning to make the 



