16 



ON LAYING OUT A FLOWER GARDEN. 



should be studied, the whole showing an evident and well- 

 defined connection. These erections generally are stiff, arti- 

 ficial, disjointed masses, and often decorated with plants 

 having no affinity to their arid location. The undertaking, 

 when well completed, will present a field of varied and in- 

 teresting study, and more than compensate for the labour 

 and expense bestowed upon it. If it is desired that the 

 flower garden should be a botanical study, there should be 

 some botanical arrangement adopted. 



The Linnean system is the most easily acquired. A 

 small compartment, laid out in beds, might contain plants of 

 all the twenty-four classes, and a few of all the hardy orders^ 

 which do not exceed one hundred. Or, to have their natu- 

 ral characters more assimilated, the Jussieuean system could 

 be carried into effect by laying down a grass plat to any ex- 

 tent above one quarter of an acre, and cut therein small fig- 

 ures to contain the natural families, which, of hardy plants, 

 we do not suppose would exceed one hundred and fifty. The 

 difficulties of this arrangement are, that many of the cha- 

 racters are imperfectly known, even to the most scientific. 

 (See Professor Lindle}/s Introduction to Botany.) All the 

 large divisions should be intersected by small alleys, or paths, 

 about one and a half or two feet wide. When there is not 

 a green-house attached to the flower garden, there should be, 

 at least, a few sashes of fi-aming or a forcing pit, to bring 

 forward early annuals, &c., for early blooming. These 

 should be situate in some spot detached from the garden by 

 a fence of Hoses, trained to trellises, Chinese Arbor vitae, 

 Privet, or even Madura, makes excellent fences ; and, when 

 properly trimmed, are very ornamental : they require to be 

 neatly and carefully clipped with shears every September. 

 In the Southern States, Noisette, Bourbon, and China Roses, 

 with a profusion of Sweetbriar, would make the most beau- 

 tiful of all fences, and could be very easily obtained : a fence 

 three hundred feet long would only cost about one hundred 

 and twenty dollars. Frames for forcing should be made of 

 plank two inches thick, and well put together; the -sash 

 should be from five to seven feet long, and from three to four 

 feet wide, and filled with six by eight glass. In the fram- 

 ing ground should be kept the various soils required for 

 plants, and also various characters of manure at all times 

 ^ ready for use, the whole in regular heaps, and kept free from 



