416 



PART III. 



THE CULTURE OF THE KITCHEN AND FRUIT GARDEN. 



CHAPTER I. 



LAYING OUT AND PLANTING THE KITCHEN AND FRUIT-GARDEN. 



Sect. I. Laying out the Kitchen-Garden. 



885. The situation and general arrangement of the kitchen-garden have 

 already been treated of in the Suburban Architect and Landscape Gardener^ 

 but previously to entering on its culture and management, we shall here 

 recapitulate the main features. The situation relative to the other parts of 

 a residence, should be as near the house as is consistent with other details. 

 In general the kitchen, stable-offices and kitchen-garden should be on one 

 side of the mansion or dwelling, and so placed as to admit of intercommuni- 

 cation without bringing the operations or operators into the view of the 

 family or their visitors. As the stable-offices are generally near the kitchen- 

 offices, so the kitchen-garden may be near the stables ; and in such a situa- 

 tion it will generally be found that the kitchen- garden is less seen from the 

 windows of the mansion, than if it were placed at a much greater distance. 

 A very little reflection will convince any one that this must necessarily be 

 the case. Relatively to surface^ one which is level, open, and airy, is the 

 best ; because it is least liable to be affi3eted by high winds. The next best 

 surface is one gently sloping to the south, or south-east ; and the worst is 

 one sloping to the north-east. The surface of a hill is to be avoided on 

 account of its exposure to high winds ; and equally so one in a valley on 

 account of the cold air which descends from the adjoining heights and settles 

 there. The extent is regulated by the wants of the family, and may vary 

 from a quarter of an acre to several acres ; every thing depending on the 

 quantity and quality of the produce required. The best soil is a loam, rather 

 sandy than clayey, on a subsoil moderately retentive. The form of the 

 garden should be rectangular, as better adapted than any other for the opera- 

 tions to be carried on within. The area is enclosed by walls, in general 

 forming a parallelogram with its longest side in the direction of east and 

 west, in consequence of which the greater length of walling has a surface 

 exposed to the south. When the situation is such as to require artificial 

 shelter, plantations are formed exterior to the garden for this purpose, 

 but they should never, if practicable, be nearer the walls than 100 

 feet or 150 feet ; for though science has not yet satisfactorily assigned 

 the reason, yet it is certain that nothing is more injurious to culinary veget- 

 ables and fruits, than the exclusion of a free current of air in every direction. 

 The sole object of shelter ought to be to break the force of high winds. 

 Water should never be wanting in a garden, and as we have already observed 

 (823) it sliould always be exposed in a basin for some time before being 

 used. The garden walls should if possible be of brick; or if they are formed 

 of stone, or of mud or compressed earth, which in some parts of the country 



