ON THE UTILITY OF EESERVE GARDENS. 
213 
arrangement obviously depending on the nature of the ground, the local sources of 
obtaining a supply, &c., and the hint is generally thrown out that advantage may be taken 
of any perennial spring adjoining. 
In predetermining upon a suitable plan or arrangement, local requirements must again 
decide as to how much or how little of the space should be appropriated for the erection of 
pits and hotbeds, or indeed for any other particular arrangement that it may be deemed 
requisite to make. As a general rule, how^ever, and as being the most convenient dis- 
position of the ground, the garden should form an equilateral or rectangular parallelogram, 
surrounded by a stone or brick wall seven or eight feet high. 
A broad space for pits or frames should be allotted on the south and (if wanted) on the 
east side also of the garden ; and adjoining these, the potting-shed, open shed for pro- 
tecting soils, &c., should be erected. A border about 10 feet wide should run parallel to the 
remainder of the wall ; and parallel with the border, a convenient walk, say 4 or 5 feet in 
width. 
The internal space having a reservoir in the centre, may also be intersected with 
rectangular walks of a similar breadth, and the compartments formed by the intersection 
of the walks again, resolved into as many rectangular beds, separated by alleys two or 
three feet wide, as utility or convenience may dictate. 
The enclosure may be rendered easy of access from any direction, by forming doorways 
at each angle, or in each side of the parallelogram ; and to give the whole when complete, 
a neat and finished appearance, as well as for conveniently approaching the different com- 
partments in wet weather, the walks and alleys may be delineated with edgings of box, or 
(which would perhaps be better than a live edging) with an edging of tiles, bricks, or 
pebbles, and then formed of gravel or coal-ashes. 
Sufficient has for the present been said respecting the formation and arrangement : 
and I will now make a few general observations on the usefulness of such a department. 
As the name indicates, such a garden should contain at various seasons a reserve or stock 
in hand of plants of every description to supply the main features of the establishment, as 
well as at all times a sufficiency to remedy defects whenever or wherever they may occur. 
If half-hardy plants for the summer decoration of the Flower-garden are extensively in 
request, a proportionate amount of pit or frame accommodation must be provided for them. 
Pits formed of turf-sods, and various other economical contrivances, are not unfre- 
quently adopted for the growth and winter protection of the flower-garden stock and 
plants intended for forcing, &c.; and such erections are doubtless very warm, and may be 
made to answer the purpose for which they are intended for several years if covered in 
with glass, and efficaciously protected from severe frost in winter ; but it is at the same 
time very questionable whether such temporary structures are ultimately found to be so 
economical as might have been at first anticipated. As far as my own experience extends, 
and for several years I have witnessed the employment of turf-pits and other so-called 
economical contrivances for protecting plants in winter, there is nothing so economical 
as the erection of substantial brick-pits, to say nothing of their better appearance and 
convenience. 
As a general rule, therefore, span-roofed pits running east and west to any necessary 
length, 12 or 14 feet wide, divided lengthwise in the centre, and transversely, as often as 
may be deemed requisite by slight brick partitions, will be found the most suitable 
structures for the cultivation and protection of all kinds of flower-garden stock and plants 
not requiring fire-heat in winter. 
By forming the pits span-roofed, the advantage of a north and south aspect is gained, 
which at different periods will be found exceedingly useful in the culture of a variety of 
plants in various stages of growth, &c. 
A good plan to observe in the construction of these pits for half-hardy and other 
plants is to allow sufficient depth in the interior to accommodate very large specimens of 
flower-garden plants and such large plants as Hydrangea, Agapanthus, &c. Such pits 
would also be found very convenient for storing bulky specimens intended for forcing, for 
retarding plants in flower, or for slightly " hardening off" forced specimens previous to 
