228 



GARDENERS' MAGAZINE. 



April 



9, 1898, 



proximity and facility of access can hardly be too much insisted upon. Only 

 architects, landscape gardeners, and cultivators, can tell of the many homes that 

 have been ruined and gardens spoiled through lack of due attention to the ground 

 levels. Though homes should not be perched up on hills, those are generally the 

 healthiest and the best that are sufficiently elevated. The ground line of the house 

 should always be level. As to the character of soil and sub-soil, there is a 

 general agreement of opinion in favour of gravelly or sandy soil on chalk, sandstone, 

 or other rocks. Mr. Milner, however, would have no fear of building on well- 

 drained clay, were a layer of concrete placed over the clay first. The site of the 

 house, its design, and general arrangement greatly influence the site and character 

 of the gardens. The house should command fine prospects to the south-east and 

 10 the south-west ; the chief approach or entrance should be on the north-western 

 fall ; the offices on the north-eastern side ; the stables and kitchen gardens beyond. 

 The' pleasure gardens should have an eastern aspect ; the south-west looking into 

 into or over the park. The house should also rest upon a base or terrace, which 

 is as needful to give it dignity, as a pedestal is to enhance the artistic merit of a 

 beautiful vase. As to the approach or carriage road, this should always be, or 

 appear to be, the most direct route to the house, and the gradients should not be 

 steeper than one in fourteen feet ; should not run paralled with nor be seen from 

 the public road ; nor be less than nine feet wide, nor more than twelve feet for a 

 single carriage, or twelve to eighteen feet for carriages passing freely. Mr. Milner 

 gave much useful information as to the position of lodges and entrances from 

 public roads at such points or turns as to make the private approach look the 

 more important road. For straight approaches or avenues, an imposing entrance 

 should be made, and they should also have an imposing finish in a fine mansion. 

 When practicable carriage roads should enter the park on level ground ; there 

 should be a considerable level space, called the forecourt, of gravel ranging from 

 thirty, forty, or more square yards, allowed for the arrival, departure, and exercise 

 of horses. The banks of carriage drives, drainage, gulley holes, the levelling of roads, 

 walks, and grounds by spirit levels, and boning rods were then described and 

 illustrated on the black board. Three-inch pipes were considered sufficient for 

 four hundred yards, and four-inch pipes for longer distances on carriage or other 

 roads. 



The terrace might be a wide single walk round the house, or a massive built 

 work with copings crowned with vases — the length of the terrace gives importance 

 to a place, its width should be equal to the height of the front of the house. The 

 width of the grass should be twenty feet, that of the walk from nine to twelve feet, 

 and of the grass at the edge of the slope not less than six feet. Terrace slopes 

 should not have a greater depth than five or six feet. Where a greater depth is 

 needed two slopes should be made with a level width between them, if not less 

 than four feet. Where the depth is three feet, the slopes should be two and a half 

 feet, for smaller slopes, such as sunk ponds, two and a half feet will suffice. 

 The steps used in connection with terraces should be as solid and plain as possible. 

 For a two-and-three-quarter feet slope, the tread should be fourteen inches, the 

 rise six inches ; for two-and-a-half feet slope the tread should be fifteen inches, 

 with a rise of six inches. Good Portland stone is best, though granite is generally 

 used, as at the Crystal Palace. 



The kitchen garden soil and site should be favourable, and the garden should not 

 be further than three to five hundred yards from the house. A hillside sloping 

 towards the south and sheltered by distant plantations from northerly and 

 easterly winds would form an ideal site. From one and a half to two or more 

 acres of good land, two and a half feet deep, well drained and richly manured, 

 should be allowed. The walls on the north side ought to be mostly furnished with 

 glass houses, on the south should be twelve or fourteen feet high, while ten feet 

 is a good height for the east, west, or south walls. Mr. Milner does 

 not approve of broad permanent coping on fruit walls, but described and 

 illustrated a very good temporary coping formed thus : build in the wall and on 

 the coping pieces of one and a quarter inch japanned iron tubing about six feet 

 apart, in which can be placed iron rods projecting in front beyond the wall, having 

 a pm at the outer end. On this support in the spring are placed light twelve-inch 

 boards, which are retained there as long as necessary. Netting can also be 

 suspended from these rods to protect the fruit against frost, birds, &: 



Drainage. 



To show the necessity of drainage a few general principles as to the qualities 

 and quantity of water were referred to. One inch of rainfall per acre gives 

 one hundred and one tons, or 3,630 cubic feet of water, which would fill a tank 

 thirty feet by twelve feet by ten feet, yielding two and a half cubic feet, or fifteen 

 and three-quarter gallons per minute if the same fall continue twenty-four hours. 

 The annual rainfall of London averages twenty-six inches, and it is reckoned that 

 at least two-fifths of it percolates through the soil, the other being lifted by 

 evaporation. As water is heaviest at a temperature of forty degrees it follows that 

 the warm rainwater and air cannot displace the colder already in possession, hence 

 the necessity of removing the cold stagnant water by means of drainage. Rain- 

 drops are also highly oxygenated, and their passage through the soil by drainage 

 brings this essential aid to vigorous growth within easy reach of the roots of 

 plants. Streams of warm air also follow on the back of descending water, and 

 this also is charged with many ingredients for the support of plant life. 



The depth and fall of drains are of great importance. In clay soils, three 

 eet deep and sixteen feet apart ; in light soils at intervals of forty feet and four 

 feet deep. In non-porous soils the drains should be filled to within six inches of 

 the surface with porous ma erial. The fall of main outfall drains should be 1 in 

 500, or 10 feet 6 inches per mile. In collecting drains the minimum fall should 



<t 1 1? 2 i 5 ?' ° r 21 feet per mile " Facts , figures, and formulas were also shown on 

 tne blackboard for measuring the discharge of water through pipes or open 

 cnannels. The following table of water discharged through pipes of different 



nf^h! II f n dly fail to generally useful, as well as to give one a vivid idea 

 01 the vital importance of the drains „f u„A • A 1 in r^H^W^c * «oii^ c 



gallons ; a 12 in. i t 6oo 



As 



10 tne size ot drains in main walk* •* 3* ~- 



main drains SS£ rt^'J" gS £i l£? "3^ S 



day, sand, .oa.s, h MUS , t^Z^Xl^S^^S^ 



Water in Garden Scenery. 



to sayTfTt? l^uTa^^ Mr - Miln « had much 



true ft is ttaSS rfve? JR2S ° f , hei g htenin g » l**C.pe. How 

 wander from lake Sff CjSStS* \ fascina . tion of its men we 



adapts itself to and should eveT£ f Um l ° ^ " t0 ° ld friends - Wa er 



imitate the beauty of Nature'* ,„J\- e , to lts own environments. We should 

 lake has its uj SSfbeM^fe ft DOt , ?f"l h « effortS - The placid 



» Ut-dUiy on UiU'-lvirur anr1. trip cVi ninn nV— 



m . idea 



■ 



ot excavate 



•:iw. 



OS, 



The landscape gardener's treatment of the lake and 5«H me rocky cascade, 

 much of the^auty of the lake flows fronts ^ 

 consists in the variety of its creeks, bays and promontories 1 C , ] * x «*f 

 even a semi-circle, should be used. The prevailing line must be r.nf ** 

 of the lake and its shore must be hidden from the Npectato? fro ^ Porti * 

 the margin. Large trees on the opposite shore or the end of a kt!i <* 

 than their height the apparent extent of water. Lakes surround ^ ^ morc 

 give a gloomy impression. Belts of wood or banks of earth as 

 should be broken. The main views from the house should be Sir, 

 bavs, as here is the widest expanse of water. A« ^ t uire cted into the 



Ike lid 



. cavatii^ 



rounding level. Islands should never be'placed^the'cenTr? oMhlVt* 

 .nearer the shore than sixteen feet. Should these be connected by a brid^.l 

 mainland, it should span the narrowest point and at right ancles with 1 l 



The depth of lakes should not be less than three feet. This im t ifiS 

 when it is borne m mind that the evaporation in a dry season may exceed tnT*^ 

 fall by some thirty inches in the year. Mr Milner proceeded to give carcfiri 

 elaborate instructions as to the excavation and rendering waterproof lakes *" 

 or other artificial pieces of water. Even on strong clays there are general! - * 

 least some six inches of surface s«>il more or less porous, while on more i!2n^ 

 lands the entire lake bottom and sides must be made water-holding either wiffS 

 crete or puddled clay. Concrete is perhaps best on sandy or gravelly soils oot 

 solid foundation. It should be made of one part of hydraulic lime, or one out at 

 Portland cement and six parts of broken stone or sand. This, Mr. Milner showed 

 by a section, should be laid twelve inches thick on the bottom and eighteen inches 

 at the side, this being floated home with one inch of pure cement. There are two 

 ways of puddling lakes, ponds, &c, into water holding. One is to use the clay in 

 a similar way as cement. After cutting, beating, maturing, or forcing it into 

 plasticity through a mortar mill, then stamp or ram in the clay a foot thick over 

 the bottom and eighteen inches up the sides like cement. In many cases there 

 may be a retentive base for the water in the natural soil, and the water leab 

 through the sides or ends. In such cases it is cheapest to dig out a space for a 

 puddle gutter down to the water-holding space. This trench should increase in 

 width as it descends, and the surface should rise a part above the water level. It 

 should not anywhere be less than eighteen inches in thickness. 



Fountains. 



Of fountains, of which illustrations were given, interesting particulars as to 

 height of basins, jets, discharge of water, were given. Many garden fountaim 

 do not rise higher than a foot above the ground ; some, however, rise to a height 

 of three feet. Mr. Milner quoted those at the palace of Count Festerjcs, at 

 Thesthelly, in Hungary. The fountain basins are raised three feet above the 

 general level, and from each basin radiate walks and similar stone basins Co 

 contain plants ; the effect is said to be good. The height of a jet of water is less 

 than the head owing to the resistance of the air, the friction through the pipes, and 

 other causes. Thus with a head of eighty feet and a jet of one inch diameter there 

 will be a loss of ten feet, reducing the jet to seventy feet ; but with quarter-inch jet 

 the loss would be about forty feet, or half the height of the head. The form of 

 the nozzle and size of the discharge pipe likewise very largely control the dis- 

 tribution of water. Thus, with a head of eighty feet and quarter-inch jet the 

 discharge is 8-58 gallons per minute, with half-inch 34-3, and with one-inch jet 

 1 37 gallons per minute. 



Bridges. 



These were very fully treated, especially in their carrying capacity and break- 

 ing powers. Elaborate figures were given as to best material, sizes, &c, whin 

 render breakdowns impossible. The breaking power of all bridges 

 always be far higher than their carrying capacity. Turning from the en P ncc TJ 

 aspect, and the landscape gardening effect of bridges, it was shown how tfcy 

 should always be made to harmonise with their position. If placed on a straipl 

 walk it should be 'massive and partake of an architectural character ; inns 

 winding walk or crossing a running stream, of a rustic or picturesque chara * 

 For such purpose a peeled oak, larch or fir can be used. Boat-houses, surw*- 



houses, arbours and seats often add convenience and beauty m such connecoo» 



JJ. 1 . r • 



Weald, Middlesex, is being brought under pro^^JJg 



the Board of Agriculture. Conservators will be appointed^ whose duty ^™ rf 



to preserve the turf, shrubs, trees, plants, and grass, to execute sue ^ 

 drainage, levelling, fencing, planting, &c. , as may be 



and improvement of the common, and to set apart a p_ . nr^rvatioc 



They will be empowered to frame and enforce ^c-laws ^ 



— - — -»**». f**. wuuw&i kjl uuioaijwv-j — — r . r nv 'iQt or thisj 



gipsies, &c, and generally for the prevention or restraint ^ * 



tending to the injury or disfigurement of the common, or to interior 

 use thereof by the public for purposes of exercise and recreation. 



French Beans. -There is no worse month than March for the ^ 

 French beans. There are extremes of heat by day and of cold oy IT* ^ 

 is the very reverse of what the crop likes. Then we n^/^.^Vuld «hW 

 winds to deal with. Lastly, there is the question of wa ter, WW? ^ ^ m 

 be warm. In sowing I find the general error is to SOW Voo oeqy te «•« 

 and a half inches below the surface is ample. A spare www •> bUjjkJ ^ be 

 at the same date-or a few days later than the crop-so that ™j ^ ^ 

 filled up. Water the seed box carefully, so that m Q (he wrt *o 



flagging. As a rule, I have found transplanted beans about equa ^ „ 4, 

 for crop, though they may be more dwarf. U here there is ; »pa jces ^jm 



end of March a arwl «J „nn is readily obtained, and u "Mr^ ^ the 



and old. While they enjoy fairly rich soil and do well up ia %!&g** 

 almost any material, after then it is time to ^^^ md ot solid ^ 

 desirable and safe food, and this can be given « ber m l^J^, nexi ^*^ 

 pailfull of cow manure soaked over night and dUutea anu R j{,S., 

 found useful, but use no cold water.— Stephen Costie, r. 

 I Queries, Notts. 



car 



CO 



Gardeners Magazine 



Maria 



the " Garf£!V I* 



1 



