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THE PRACTICAL GARDENER. 



First impressions are often the most forcible, and, for want of 

 a little skill and management in this matter, many of our finest 

 gardens are seen to great disadvantage ; the principal entrances 

 to which are made at points, where the general beauties are 

 concealed, or seen only in a very limited and imperfect manner. 

 Nothing is more common than to see the principal walk lead- 

 ing from the mansion to the garden, conducted through the 

 most uninteresting part of the grounds, and in general making 

 its entry fi'om behind. " Nothing can be more unsightly than 

 the view of the high north wall of the garden, with its back 

 shades and chimney-pots from behind, or even getting the 

 first coiq7 d'oeil of the hot-houses from a point nearly in a 

 parallel line with their front. The effect of many excellent 

 gardens is lost, or marred, for want of attention to this point, 

 or from peculiarity of situation." The principal walk which 

 connects the rest of the grounds to the garden, and by which 

 strangers should be brought to see it, requires some taste in its 

 construction, and should always be made as interesting as pos- 

 sible. The points at which a garden should be entered, should 

 be chosen according to local circumstances, so that the eye 

 may rest on the most prominent objects, such as the hot- 

 houses, &c. For this reason, the entrance should be fi-om the 

 south, south-east, or south-west ; and, on leaving the garden, 

 no objection can exist to the walks branching from the oppo- 

 site points. 



THE SITUATION OF THE MELON AND CUCUMBER GROUND. 



The melon gi-ound is generally denominated that piece of 

 ground occupied by pits, fi-ames, &c., for the cultivation of 

 melons, cucumbers, young pine-apple plants, and such fruits 

 and vegetables that either require artificial heat for their cul- 

 ture, or their early production before their natural season. 

 The melon ground should be chosen in the most warm, dry, 

 sheltered part attached to the garden, as the operations con- 

 nected with the culture of that fruit, and other vegetables, 

 under frames, are such, as to render it desirable that the melon 

 ground should be placed near the outside of the garden, for 

 the more readily supplying it with dung, mould, &c., which 



