*14 
GARDENING. 
house plants can vie m colour, or eveivin ha- 
bit and growth, with the scarlet runner; and 
even the plants of more humble growth are 
not wholly destitute of beauty. 
The garden of which we shall in the first 
place treat, as taking that practical view of 
the subject which is consistent with our de- 
sign, is one in which vegetables, fruits, and 
flowers, are cultivated under the same inclo- 
sure. The work of making a new garden 
can happen to few ; and when it does, soil, 
situation, and space, all favourable, are hap- 
py circumstances not always at command. 
It often happens, however, that pieces of 
ground are taken into use as additions ; and 
some judgment should be exercised in the 
choice, that thebusiness may be well effected. 
With respect to the extent, a general idea 
may be given in observing, that an acre with 
wall-trees, hot-beds, pots, Ac. will furnish 
employment for a man, who at some busy 
times will even need assistance. The size of 
the garden should, however, be proportioned 
to the house, as to the number of inhabitants 
it does or may contain. This is naturally 
dictated ; but yet it is better to have too much 
ground allotted than too little, and there is 
nothing monstrous in a large garden annexed 
to a Small house. 
Some families use few, others many vege- 
tables, and it makes a great difference whe- 
ther the owner is curious to have a long sea- 
son of the same production, or is content to 
have a supply only at the more common 
times. But to give some rule for the quan- 
tity of ground to be laid out, a family of four 
persons (exclusive of servants) may have a 
rood of good working open ground, and so 
in proportion. 
But if possible let the garden be rather ex- 
tensive according to the family ; for then a 
useful sprinkling of fruit-trees can be planted 
in it, which may be expected to do well, un- 
der the common culture of the ground about 
them ; a good portion of it also may lie allot- 
ted for that agreeable fruit the strawberry in 
ah its varieties; and the very disagreeable 
circumstance of being at any time short of 
vegetables will be avoided, it should be con- 
sidered also, that artichokes, asparagus, and 
a long succession of peas and beans, require a 
good deal of ground. Hotbeds will also 
take up some room, if any thing considerable 
is done in the way of raising cucumbers, mel- 
ons, flowers, Ac. 
The situation of a garden should be dry, 
but rather low than high, and as sheltered as 
can be from the north and east winds. These 
points of the compass should be guarded 
against by high and good fences; by a wall 
of at least ten feet high; lower walls do not 
answer so well for fruit-trees, though one of 
eight may do. A garden should be so situ- 
ated, to be as much warmer as possible than 
the general temper of the air is without, or 
ought to be made warmer by the ring and 
subdivision fences. This advantage is essen- 
tial to the expectation we have from a garden 
locally considered. 
As to trees planted without the wall, to 
break the wind, we cannot expect to reap 
much good this way, except from some- 
thing more than a single row, i. e. a plan- 
tation. Yet the fall of the leaves by the 
autumnal winds is troublesome, and a high 
wall is therefore advisable. Spruce firs 
have been used in close-shorn hedges; which, 
as evergreens, are proper enough to plant for 
a screen in a single row, though not very 
near to the wall ; but the best evergreens for 
this purpose are the evergreen oak and the 
cork-tree. The witch elm, planted close, 
grows quick, and has a pretty summer ap- 
pearance behind a wall ; but is of little use 
then as a screen, except to the west ; where 
still it may shade too much (if planted near), 
as it mounts high. In a dry hungry soil the 
beech also is very proper; and both bear cut- 
ting. The great maple, commonly called the 
sycamore, is handsome, of quick growth, and 
being fit to stand the rudest blasts, will pro- 
tect a garden well in a very exposed situation : 
the wind to be chiefly guarded against ^s to 
strength, in most places, being the westerly. 
The form of a garden may be a square, but 
an oblong is preferred, and the area rather a 
level ; or if there is any slope it should be 
southward, a point either to the east or west 
not much signifying ; but not to the north, if 
it can be avoided, because crops come in late, 
and plants do not stand the winter so well, in 
such a situation. A garden with a northern 
aspect has, however, its advantages, being- 
cooler for some summer productions, as 
strawberries, spring-sown cauliflowers, Ac. 
and therefore to have a little ground under 
cultivation so situated is desirable , especially 
for late secession crops. 
The soil that suits general cultivation best 
is a loam, rather the red than the black; but 
there are good soils of various colours, and 
this must be as it happens. The worst soil 
is a cold heavy clay, and the next a light 
sand ; a moderate clay, however, is better 
than a light soil, though not so pleasant to 
work. It the soil is not good, i.e. too poor, 
too strong, or too light, it is to be carefully 
improved without delay. Let it first, at least, 
he thoroughly broken and cleaned of all rub- 
bish, to a regular level depth at bottom as well 
as at top, so as to give full eighteen inches of 
working mould, if the good soil will admit of 
it; none that is bad should be thrown up for 
use, but rather moved away. This rule of 
bottom levelling isparticularly necessary when 
there is clay below, as it will* secretly hold up 
wet, which should not stand in any part of the 
garden. (See Draining.) When apiece of 
ground is cleared of roots, weeds, stones, See. 
it would be of advantage to have the whole 
thrown into two-feet-wide trenches, and lie 
thus as long as conveniently may be. The 
ground cannot be too well prepared; for 
when this business is not performed to the 
bottom at first, it is often neglected, and is 
not conveniently done afterwards; and so it. 
happens, that barely a spade’s depth (or less) 
is too often thought sufficient to go on with. 
I here is this great advantage of a deep 
staple, that in the cultivation of it the bottom 
may be brought to the top every other year, 
by double trenching ; and being thus renew- 
ed, less dung will do, and sweeter vegetables 
be grown. Tap-rooted things, as carrots and 
parsnips, require a good depth of soil. 
The aspect of the wall designed for the best 
fruits may be full south ; or rather inclining to 
the east, by which it will catch the sun’s rays 
at its rise, the cold night-dews be earlier and 
more gently dissipated, and the scorching rays 
of the afternoon summer’s sun are sooner off. 
By thus having the walls of a garden not di- 
rectly to the four points, the north wall is 
greatly advantaged by having more sun. 
1 he border next this wall should be of very 
good earth, about two feet deep, rising a lit- 
tle towards the wail. A free moderate loam, 
or some fresh maiden soil, not too light, is 
necessary: and if it is not naturally there, let 
no trouble be spared to procure it, if it can 
be had, so as to make all the borders pro- 
mising good; and in order to this, if manure 
is necessary, let it rather be that of rotted ve- 
getables, or turf, with a small quantity of 
wood-ashes; for the roots of fruit-trees should 
not meet with much dung, at least of horses: 
that of cows is the best, or that of sheep or 
bogs will do well rotted, well-mixed, Ac! be- 
ing worked in the borders as long as possible 
before the trees are to be planted. Let the 
holes be some time opened beforehand, that 
they may be improved by exposure to the 
atmosphere. Tims due care will be taken, 
and all things be ready to go about the work 
of planting properly. 
The borders for peaches, Ac. cannot be 
too wide, for in a few years the roots will 
spread a considerable way: and that they may 
do it without impediment of rubbish in the 
walks, and without meeting with a bad soil, 
is ol the greatest consequence to the future 
health and fruitfulness of the trees. 
It garden is large and square, a second 
south wall, running down the middle of it, 
would be very useful ; and so, if large and 
long, a cross wall or two might be adopted, 
as giving opportunity for the cultivation of 
more trained fruit-trees; and if there is any 
idea of forcing fruits, these intersecting walls, 
ranging east and west, are proper for it (as 
situated within the ring-fence), furnished with 
flues, Ac. 
1 he best fruit-border being prepared for 
peaches, nectarines, and apricots, or vines 
and hgs, the trees should take their residence 
there (if the leaf is falling) about the latter 
part of October, or as soon after as can be. 
if tne middle of December is past, February 
is then the time ; though gardeners plant 
all winter, if the weather is open enough at 
the time to work the ground. March, how- 
ever, may do, or even the beginning of April. 
Wall-trees should not be older than two 
years from grafting or budding. Much 
disappointment has been the consequence 
of planting old trained trees, through their 
being accustomed (perhaps) to a contrary 
soil, or by damage done to the roots in taking 
the trees up ; and thus, instead of saving time, 
it has frequently been lost, being obliged 
(after years) to be replaced >v ith young ones. 
But if trained trees are to be made use of, let 
them be planted as early, and with as full 
roots as possible, and in a good soil. 
Except in fine-situations as to sun, shelter, 
and climate, never plant early and late 
peaches; as the first maybe cut off, and the 
latter not ripen. October peaches are ge- 
nerally poor fruit much north of London. 
The distance to -plant* should be about 12 
inches from the wall : and let apricots, peaches, 
and nectarines, be twenty feet asunder, more 
or less, according to the’height of the wall ; 
though for the small early sorts fifteen or six- 
teen feet will do. As the larger apricots, 
however, grow freely, and do not well en- 
dure the knife, they ought to have twenty-five 
feet allowed them. r i his is for a wall of nine 
or ten feet high; if higher, the distance may 
