THE CULINARY GARDEN. 



17 



laid down, is to build the walls in such a mannei' that their coping 

 may be parallel to the ground surface, provided that it be not 

 very much distorted ; in that case, it will always be better to 

 regulate the surface to a somewhat regular shape. 



Where the ground is a dead level, it will be necessary to 

 have the walls of different heights to give relief, otherwise 

 the whole will have a heavy and dead appearance. The 

 neight of the walls should be regulated according to the 

 size of the ground inclosed, as well as to the sorts of trees 

 intended to be placed against them. In small gardens, the 

 walls should be rather low than otherwise, for a small garden 

 surrounded by high walls has a gloomy and heavy appearance ; 

 this objection, however, may be obviated, by having them of 

 different heights, always making the north wall the highest, 

 and the south the lowest. The principal walls of gardens of 

 any considerable extent are seldom below ten feet, and seldom 

 exceed sixteen. For gardens of ordinary dimensions, we 

 should consider fi'om ten to twelve feet to l)e a good height, tlms 

 making the north wall tv/elve, and the south one ten. How- 

 ever, the height of the north wall must be in general regu- 

 lated by the height and width of the hot-houses, which may 

 be placed against it; and under such circumstances, if the 

 height be more than twelve feet, the effect will not be un- 

 pleasant, as the houses will bear a proper proportion to it. 

 Hot-houses are required of different heights, in order to suit 

 the purposes for which they may be intended ; and this neces- 

 sary inequality of height will tend to relieve the height of the 

 walls; and still farther to accomplish that end, it would be 

 advisable to have the highest part of the wall in the middle, 

 and the breaks gradually declining to each end. " In a garden 

 of an acre, being a parallelogram of the best proportion, and 

 of a gentle declivity," Nicol observes, " the north wall may 

 be raised to the height of fourteen feet, the east and west walls 

 to twelve, and the south wall to ten, above the ground level. 

 If the ground slope considerably, the breakings in the respect- 

 ive heights of the walls may be less; they may be only a 

 foot, and the relief will be the same, or nearly the same, to 

 the eye, in ranging along their surfaces. In gardens of greater 

 extent, the walls may be raised to a greater height, but by no 



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