THE MANUAL OF GARDENING. 
97 
as not to be disturbed by the culture of the crops, which trenches, 
after being partially filled up with brick-bats, shells, coarse gravel, 
or similar substances, are entirely closed with soil — the drains, 
however, are of little use unless they have a reasonable descent, 
and discharge beyond the boundaries of the garden. 
The laying out the grounds. — Having obtained the proper 
soil, the next step is to lay out the grounds, which must be 
governed in some degree by their shape and location, but mainly 
by the taste of the proprietor. Some are pleased with regular 
beds and borders — others can see no beauty in straight lines, and 
form their grounds into ovals, circles, and irregular figures of 
many forms. Perhaps a union of the two modes, is the truer 
taste; in either case they should be edged with neatness, and for 
that purpose box-wood, the vernal iris, thrift, grass, &c., are used ; 
where it is desired to combine utility and ornament, the straw- 
berry may be used with advantage. That work performed, it 
then becomes necessary to enrich the soil, or supply the exhaus- 
tion of repeated cropping ; for this purpose, in the flower-garden, 
decomposed manure and such as is least likely to contain the 
seeds of weeds, or grasses, only should be used. It may be ap- 
plied immediately preceding the spring digging, or, which is pre- 
ferable, in the autumn. At the proper time, in spring, the ground 
should be deeply dug and thoroughly pulverized, preparatory to 
receiving the seeds. 
Time and mode of sowing the seeds. — There are some few 
hardy annual flowers which grow more vigorously, and, of con- 
sequence, whose beauties are more fully developed when sown 
in the autumn, so as to vegetate previous to frost. Among such 
may be enumerated the beautiful double Larkspur , all varieties 
of Poppies , Gillia, Strawberry Spinach, Sweet William, Pinks 
of all kinds, Evening Primrose, Coreopsis tinctoria, &c. There 
are others which will not endure the frost, but the seeds of which 
vegetate much earlier in the spring, after having passed the 
winter in the earth, among which are the Convolvulus , the varie- 
ties whereof are very showy when properly trained : Cypress 
Vine , Marvel of Peru, variegated Euphorbia, Double Balsa- 
mine, Centaurea, Helianthus, &c. These, when opportunity ad- 
mit, should be sown in autumn, and the places carefully marked, 
that the earth may remain undisturbed in spring, when digging 
that adjacent. Most varieties of garden flowers are, however, 
sown in spring, indeed all may be, with success. With many 
delicate kinds, the best mode by far, is to start them in a hot-bed 
or in a cold frame, under glass. The management of these 
frames requires some little practical experience, and young gar- 
deners would find it more satisfactory to obtain instruction from 
some competent neighbour, than to depend on merely written 
9 
