GLEANINGS ON IIOIiTICUI/rURH 



43 



border should be twelve feet, and the one at the back of tlio 

 shed six feet wide, and from three to four feet in depth. The 

 small aperture in the front between the lights and the soil, 

 marked C, may be closed at any time by means of a board fast- 

 ened back by a small chain or bolt. A pathway through the 

 door, D, two feet six inches wide, runs up the centre of the shed, 

 to enable the gardener to syringe and to disbud the trees ; and 

 in the back border are planted dwarf Mahaleb cherries, &c. apricot, 

 standard trees, and peaches and pears. They will produce abun- 

 dance of fruit of the finest quality, if the soil is composed of 

 rotten leaf-mould, road-scrapings, old turf, mortar-rubbish, well 

 mixed with night-soil. Liquid manure should also be constantly 

 used, and a free current of air allowed, whenever the weather 

 will permit. 



Vide Mr. Ballenden Ker's plan of Facilitating the Cultivation 

 of the Peach and Nectarines — The Gardeners Chronicle for 1848, 

 page 827; and in the Appendix to Mr. River's very useful little 

 work, The Miniature Fruit Garden. 



A, back support to plate ; B, front ditto ; C, the tree planted in 

 the border; D, the border, six feet drained ; E, the trellis with the 

 tree trained on it; F, the glass lights; G, dotted line, shows the 

 earth banked up under the trellis, 1 1, the level of the ground ; 

 H, the main drain. 



The interior of my orchard-house is very similar to this plan, 

 with these slight exceptions : my trellis is fifteen inches below 

 the lights, and extends to the top of the shed ; I have a back 

 border as well as one in front, and on each side of the pathway 

 oak planks support the soil. My house or shed also is higher, 

 and the border wider and deeper — as seen in the foregoing sketch 

 of the shed at Chancellor House. The addition of moveable 

 boards above the borders, and the side planks, I have found to be 

 of great efficacy in preventing the cold winds of Spring from in- 

 juring the blossoms. 



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