170 
THE FLORIST AND POMOLOGIST. 
[ August, 
which is eminently successful, and make great boast thereof; but ask them for 
reasons, and they refer you to results. Now, a careful study of the principles I 
am advocating would enable young gardeners in most instances to trace such 
results to their proper causes, and thus their application could be made beneficial 
in many other instances. 
Borders .—In carrying out any system of fruit-tree culture in its integrity, 
the first great consideration is the formation of the borders, and the procuring of 
the dompost in which the trees are to be planted. 
No border should have a less depth of compost than 2 ft., and therefore the con¬ 
dition of the subsoil below that depth must be taken as the guide to the necessary 
operations. If it happens to be an impervious blue clay, much care is required 
in order to provide a proper outlet for surplus water. To ensure this, the border 
should be excavated to a total depth of 2 ft. G in. next the wall, and 3 ft. Gin. 
along the front of the border, the last foot in the width being sunk a few inches 
lower with a rounded draining-tool, to form a convenient channel for the free 
passage of water. This front drain of the border must be carried on to some 
outlet sufficiently below the level, to enable the water to pass away freely. The 
bottom of the border is to be left quite smooth, and the whole covered with 
broken rubble in sufficient quantity to reduce the border for compost to a uniform 
depth of 2 ft. Over this place some thinly-cut tough turf, to prevent the finer 
compost from trickling down amongst and choking up the rubble. 
If, however, the subsoil is a yellow clay, with veins of sand, in many instances 
strongly impregnated with iron, such as there is at this place, it will be suffi¬ 
ciently pervious to water in a general way ; but to provide for overdoses during 
long-continued heavy falls of rain, it is well to break up the bottom to the depth 
of a foot or so, and lay in some cross drains from the wall to the front drain, 
which is indispensable under all conditions of soil or subsoil. Some turf 
may be laid over both cross and front drains to keep them open, and 
the 2 ft. of compost added as before, always allowing an extra thickness for 
settlement. 
But again, if the substratum is not properly soil at all, but consists of a dry 
and porous layer of gravel, or chalk, or rock, or sand, all of which are conditions 
to be met with, then the border must be excavated proportionately deeper, as I 
attach considerable importance to having a cool bottom. It would be well 
therefore, to excavate the border 3 ft. deep next the wall, and 3 ft. 6 in. at the front 
drain, which is all the drainage needful to carry off superabundant water. Once 
in dealing with a bottom of this description I broke it well up, and then covered 
the whole with clods of strong loam approaching to clajq dug out in spits with 
the turf adhering, and thrown in just as it was without any chopping; this was 
laid on to the depth of a foot, and then the two feet of prepared compost was 
added. The result proved that Peaches and Nectarines could be grown well on 
such a hot and dry substratum, and this I mainly attribute to the formation 
of a cool bottom. If 1 were put to the shift in such a case, I would sooner use 
