THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
183 
January 3.] 
F<;by. 27th, 173|. 
To the Rt. Honor’ble the Lord Fairfax, 
Per Stephen Switzer. 
3 lbs. French furze seed, 3s6dj Jib. Lucerne, l6s 
4 lb. Hutch clover, l~s; 1 doz. garden mats, 8s .. 1 
1 oz. endive, 6d; 1 oz. white Cos lettuce, 9d ; 1 oz. 
purslane, 6d . 
1 oz. alisander, 4d ; 2 ozs. Spanish cardoons, 18d ; 
2 ozs. brocoli, lsd . 
1 oz. red cabbage, Is; 2 ozs. melon, gourd, &c., 2s 6d 
4 oz. tomato, 6d; l oz. finochio, Is. 
2 ozs. Turnip radish, Is ; 100 cytisus plants, 5s .. 
1 gallon Hander’s Hotspur pea. 
2 qts. Marrowfat pea, Is; 2 qts. Spanish Mulatto, Is 
1 oz. cauliflower seed, 3s ; 1 peck Windsor beans, 2s ' 
Box. 
s. 
19 
6 
1 
3 
3 
1 
6 
2 
2 
5 
1 
d. 
6 
0 
9 
4 
6 
6 
0 
0 
0 
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6 
£3 11 1 
THE ERUIT-GARDEN. 
Arrangement of Fruit-trees. —At the commence¬ 
ment of the career of The Cottage Gardener, the 
best mode of arranging fruit-trees in the cottager’s 
garden was taken into consideration ; it remains for 
us to consider what can he done for a similar arrange¬ 
ment in the garden of the amateurs, whose object is 
by no means the same as that of the cottager. 
For the sake of dealing with principles rather than 
imposing mere rules, we will suppose the case to be 
a new inclosure of about an acre, surrounded by a 
new garden wall; such cases are every day occurring 
in the neighbourhood of our large towns; and al¬ 
though not strictly cottage gardens, yet they re¬ 
quire so many things in common, that we feel bound 
to extend our observations to them. 
It will be necessary to suppose, that the great first 
steps in garden-making have been taken, and taken 
in the right direction. We allude to thorough drain¬ 
ing in the first place, and to trenching—or, at least, 
a levelling and equalisation of the available soil, in 
tire second. 
Now, a garden, a square, standing according to the 
four cardinal points, and possessing what is termed 
“ a slip”—that is to say, a small outer inclosure, in 
order to render the exterior portion of the wall avail¬ 
able for training purposes, offers a great variety of 
aspects of a decided character. 
Our main purpose in introducing this subject, is to 
invite attention to a reconsideration of tiie whole 
affair of arranging fruit-trees in kitchen-gardens; for 
we seem “ spell-bound” with one set practice, which 
may or may not be right, but requires that its main 
features be examined, in order to see whether its con¬ 
tinuance is perfectly consistent with our new ideas of 
a dwarfing system. Such will grow in repute in 
spite of the old orchard practice, inasmuch as it has 
thoroughly proved itself to be alone adapted to the 
wants and habits of the amateur or the tradesman, 
who have neither so much land nor so much time 
to spare as their wealthier neighbours. 
It must be obvious to all who entertain this ques¬ 
tion in a proper spirit, and with some ardour, that 
since our dwarf or miniature fruit-trees are planted on 
the principle of encouraging surface roots in prefer¬ 
ence to deep or tap roots, that spade culture must 
either be set aside in the immediate vicinity of the 
miniature fruit-trees, or that some modification of the 
ordinary modes of cropping must be adopted. Such, 
we say, is quite plain, for it is entirely owing to the 
indecisive character which pertains to the question of 
fruit culture under a dwarfing system, that we find 
such a mixed medley in many gardens, the owners 
of which cannot see their way sufficiently to induce 
them to adopt a more decided course. 
Under our views, therefore, of a dwarfing system, 
the whole subject resolves itself into a mere root 
question; that is to say, borders or stations having 
been prepared for fruit-trees, the appropriation of 
the marginal portions thereof must be, at all times, 
made subservient to the course of root management 
which it is deemed necessary to carry out, in order 
to render the dwarfing system complete. In former 
days, it was supposed that it was impossible to dis¬ 
pense with a south border, or, indeed, with any other 
borders as to vegetable culture; and the spade, that 
great enemy to our more tender fruit-trees, was at 
work tire whole year over the surface roots of our 
wall-fruits, in preparing rich beds of soil for the 
grosser vegetables, as cauliflowers, spinach, &c., thus 
continually preventing the ascent of those fine fibrous 
roots, on which, and their proximity to the surface 
of the soil, it is now so generally recognised the wel¬ 
fare of our superior fruits so essentially depends. 
It lias been proved beyond all possibility of doubt, 
that all our vegetables—even those for very early 
purposes—may be equally well cultivated on slopes 
artificially made in the ordinary quarters of the 
kitchen-garden. Certainly there may occasionally 
occur a difference of a few days in the first dish of 
strawberries or early peas, but even this is somewhat 
doubtful, provided proper means be taken; but, ad¬ 
mitting it a fact, what is the benefit, compared with 
the cost? 
As before observed, it is almost impossible to do 
justice to our superior fruits, whilst this practice is 
pursued. A very superior gardener, indeed, fully 
imbued with the importance of attending to first 
principles, irrespective of the old routine practice, 
might manage by rich surface culture to produce 
early crops without material injury to the roots; but 
we must have a race of cultivators much superior to 
the present, as they are ordinarily met with, before 
such a course can be recommended with safety. 
Borders. —We now proceed to recommend what 
we consider by far the safest course to pursue in lay¬ 
ing out a new garden in accordance with the above 
principles. In the first place, if vegetable culture is 
not to be taken into the account as far as the borders 
and margins are concerned, it is evident that the 
borders need not be so wide as hath been customary. 
We consider six feet in width sufficient for any wall, 
if not more than ten feet in height, which height 
may, perhaps, be quite up to the average of small 
gardens. Now, there are those, of course, who will 
take affright at the idea of only six feet, after being 
used to borders of some twelve or fourteen feet. We 
know, however, by experience, that six feet unmo¬ 
lested, unless by a system of top-dressing, will con¬ 
duce more to the stability of the tree, than twelve feet 
under the old cropping system. There will be no 
necessity, in making a new garden, to keep the new 
border totally uncropped until the trees are esta¬ 
blished. If no bush or other fruits are planted on 
its margin (a course, by the bye, we shall be induced 
to recommend in the sequel), a regular system of 
cropping may commence from the moment the trees 
are planted, reserving one yard next the wall, on 
which nothing may be sown or planted. In this 
case, it will be necessary annually to retreat a little 
farther from the wall with the spade—nine inches 
should be given up annually; and thus, in three 
years or so, the extension of the roots will have 
driven the spade completely away. 
Arrangement of Fruit-Trees. — Turn wc now 
to what in our opinion would be a better policy still, 
and that is to plant the whole of the margins with 
the bush fruit and the trained espaliers, whether 
horizontal or pyramidal. Here would be such an 
