66 



GARDEN WALLS. 



they must do, if the wall stood due south. 

 It is true, a south wall will receive more 

 sun by three hours — that is, from about 

 three in the afternoon till near six, (in 

 the vernal equinox ;) but that is no great 

 advantage, for before that time of the 

 day the air will be sufficiently warmed. 

 Besides, if the wall be built full south, 

 it will not be so proper for fruit trees 

 as a south-east aspect; for in the 

 middle of the day the sun will cause 

 the trees to exhale their juices faster 

 than their roots can absorb them, 

 which will render the fruit smaller, and 

 the pulp harder and worse flavoured, 

 than those which receive the heat more 

 regularly. The south-east Avail receives 

 the sun about nine o'clock, and affords 

 a proper situation for most of the best 

 kinds of winter pears. Some kinds of 

 grapes, peaches, and nectarines will ripen 

 against it; and this has one equal 

 advantage compared with the south-west 

 wall — viz., that of the sun's rays striking 

 obliquely upon it at noon. The north- 

 west aspects of walls receive but little 

 sun, for it shines not upon them till three 

 in the afternoon ; but they will serve for 

 fruits which ripen in summer — as cher- 

 ries, plums, &c." We should here observe 

 that both Switzer and Hitt are writing of 

 the climate of England. 



Dr Walker, in "Essays on Natural 

 History," (p. 258,) in reference to the 

 climate of Scotland, observes, that "the 

 six warmest hours of the day are from 

 eleven to five o'clock ; " and that " it is 

 not a wall of a south-east, but of a south- 

 west aspect that enjoys that heat." 



Nicol, in reference to the same country, 

 says, " The best aspect for a fruit wall in 

 Scotland is about one point to the east- 

 ward of south, such walls enjoying the 

 benefit of the morning sun, and being 

 turned a little from the violent west and 

 south-west winds. South-east," he con- 

 tinues, " is for the same reasons accounted 

 by many a better aspect than south- 

 west." 



The majority of authorities that we 

 have consulted agree in giving the pre- 

 ference to a few points east of south ; and 

 in accordance with these opinions we in- 

 variably adopt the same course. 



Intimately connected with aspect is 

 the form of a garden. That is usually 

 square or oblong ; but why these forms 



are chosen is not easy to determine. We 

 have, however, many specimens of other 

 forms, all possessing merits of a greater 

 or lesser* degree, as has been already 

 shown in Chap. I., § 3, Form. 



Of garden walls we have now great 

 variety, in regard alike to structure and 

 material. 



§ 2. — FOUNDATIONS OF WALLS. 



Wherever stone is to be procured conve- 

 niently it should be used for this purpose, 

 as being not only more solid and durable, 

 but also, in general, cheaper than brick. 

 The ground should be excavated until a 

 proper solid soil is reached, and the base- 

 ment of rubble stone carried up to within 

 6 inches of the finished ground-level. 

 This basement requires to be somewhat 

 broader than the intended superstructure, 

 so as to leave a scarcement or projection 

 of at least 4 inches on each side beyond 

 the upright of the wall. Much has been 

 said, particularly by the earlier writers 

 on horticulture, on the necessity of hav- 

 ing all garden walls founded on arches, 

 fig. 37, or piers linteled over with flag- 

 Fig. 37. 



stones, fig. 38, with the view of allowing 

 the roots of the trees free scope for pass- 

 ing under them. This we think a matter 



Fig. 38. 



m m @i m 



of small account, under any circumstance. 

 There are some cases, however, where the 

 practice would be anything but expedient, 

 particularly where the walls of a garden 

 are built close to the trees which afford it 

 shelter, as their roots would much more 

 readily find their way through the open- 

 ings, and luxuriate in the prepared soil of 

 the fruit-tree border, than the roots of 

 the fruit trees w r ould seek the opposite 

 side. We may here, however, remark, in 



