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PEA CTICE OF GAEDENING. P a r t III.
under certain circumstances, and wisely cautious to provide, by the most pi-obahlc means,
against what may happen. A man cannot be a good gardener, unless ho be thoughtful,
steady, and industrious; possessing a superior degree of sobriety and moral excellence,
as well as genius and knowledge adapted to his business, lie should be modest
in his manners and opinions. I t too often happens, with those who haye much_ practical
skill, that they slight what is written upon the subject of their profession; which shows
a degree of prejudice quite univorthy of a man of real merit.
2745. The character o f a gardener is here set high; but it is the goal of respectability
at which he ought to aiin who presumes to call himself a professed one. A gardener
has reason, indeed, to love his employment, as he meets with health and tranquillity in
the exercise of i t ; but, considering what he is, anil what he does, in his proper capacity,
he may justly claim a superior degree of estimation and reward. A true gentleman is
of a liberal spirit, and I wonld plead for his gardener as a proper person to be generous
towai-ds, if liis manners be good. (Introd. to Gard., p. 447.)
BOOK III.
THE PRACTICE OF HORTICULTURE.
2746. In treating o f horticulture, some, as Nicol and Abercrombie, have neglected its
local u n ity ; and, adopting its technical subdivisions, haira treated of the culinaiy, fruit,
and forcing departments, as if they were separate gardens. But as these departments
are all generally caraed on ■within the same ring-fence, and as it is impossible to form
and ai-range a kitchen-garden without at the same time forming and arranging the walls
and borders destined to receive the most valuable part of the fniit-garden, and equally
so to lay out the area enclosed without determining the situation and extent of the
forcing-department, we deem it preferable to treat of Horticultm-e as actually can-ied on,
and in the following order : viz. The formation of the kitchen-garden. The distribution
of the fmit-trees. The forming and planting of a subsidiary orchard. The
general culture of the kitchen-garden. The general culture of the orchard. The con-
stniction of buildings used in the forciiig-dcpai-tment. The general culture of the
forcing-department. Catalogue of plants and trees used in horticulture. A monthly
table of horticultui-al productions.
C h a p . I.
The Formation o f a Kitchen-garden,
2747. The arrangement and laying out o f a kitchen-garden embraces a variety of considerations,
some relative to local circumstances, as situation, exposure, soil, &c. ; and
others depending on the skill of the ai-tist, as form, layingout the area, water, &c. : both
require the utmost deliberation ; for next to a badly designed, ill placed house, a
misplaced, ill an-anged, and unproductive kitchen-garden is the greatest evil of a
country-residence.
S e c t . L Situation.
2748. The situation o f a kitchen-garden, considered artificially, or relatively to the other
parts o f a residence, should be as near the mansion and the stable-officcs, as is consistent
with beauty, convenience, and other arrangements. Nicol observes, “ in a great place,
the kitchen-garden should be so situated as to he convenient to, and, at the same time,
be concealed from, the house. I t is often connected with the shrubbery or pleasure-
garden, and also placed near to the house. There can be no impropriety in this, provided
it be kept in good order, and that the walls be screened by shrubbery from the
immediate view of the public rooms ; indeed, it has been found, that there is both comfort
and economy in having the various gardens of a place connected, and placed at no
great distance from the house. In stepping from the shmbbery to the fiower-garden,
thence to the orchard, and lastly to the culinary garden, there is a gradation both natural
and pleasant. With such an arrangement, in cases where the aspect of the gi-onnd is
answerable, and the sm-face, perhaps, is considerably varied, few faults will be found.»”
2749. Sometimes we find the kitchen-garden placed immediately in front o f the house,
which Nicol “ considers the most awkward situation of any, especially if placed near,
and so that it cannot be properly screened by some sort of plantation. Generally speaking,
it should be placed in the rear or flank of the house, by which means the lawn may not
B o o k 111. SITUATION OF A KITCHEN-GARDEN. 725
oonsidemtion of more h„„.b e g i t o M L s t l L a ? n f ” "™'
t o t h e i r s i tu a t io R s , a s t h a t t h e y c a n ? b e ? ? ? ? ? « L a r b i t r a r y w i t h r e s p e c t
m a y b e f o rm e d , s o a s t h a t i n a f e i v r c a r s t h e n - n L l ? « a d , s l i e l t e r
l a i d o u t i n i t s im p r o T c m c n t s . ” (Kalendar p ' s ) P®®‘«> o c a r e t u r n f o r t h e e x p e n s e
f r / l A » s t r S / h e / / Y t Z ' i » ™
-
at least b o l the the p L L ? » B ™ ®®®"-
nearer to tho house.” (Ed. Encyc. art. Hort.) ' ^ situated much
2 / 5 1 . With respect to the natural situation o f a aarden N iV n l o nri
p f
t r r ’ Af n o r t h - c a s l w i n d s , a u d t h e b o i s t e r o u s s o iitli-w e s ”t S f e 7 f ‘® ™ ‘ «® ®»«1
n o r t h - e a s t w i n d s i n t h i s c l im a t e a r e t h o f r e e z i n g w i n d ! « a S t e f
m o r e v i o l e n t , a r e l i a b l e t o d o m u c h in i i i iw tn s t l ? , . ; i . a n d t h e s o u t h -w e s t w in d s , b e i n g
t h e i r b r a n c h e s a g a i n s t e a c h o t h e r a n d t lm r e lw ! ■ • ^to'd-trocs m s u m m e r b y d a s h i n g
low situations tire fo S 7 ™ / !v o ?L ? «®"“ g ‘h® 1 « u t i l
often appeared flooded with the eveniiio- mists wlien ‘ 7 i f S"®'®"
ga«dM.-wIXr7rr:4fnct7o»anL/*™?” “ ««®«®"-
important object to h : t X 7 4 » “L 7 ? t ? r : 7 " ® ® 7 « ® f® ?® ’
east or west. Tho object of this is to produce a fevoLtoil! f i ? " ’ ™ ‘«®
p e c u l i a r i t y o f s i t u a t i o n a t t e n t i o n t o t i n s p o m t , o r f r o m
a iT a n g e m e n t w i l l t h e r e f o r e b e r e q u i s i t e s o to Th ®“ ' ” ®
pfentationj that only favourable vi«ws can be o b ta te d ? itf/^ ^ ^ ^ ^
■
111 ^