0897 The best season fo r planting an orchard is the autumn, as soon as the trees have
rincncd’their i\-ood and dropped tlicir leaves. I f the work be properly executed at tins
season the trees will push out fresh fibres tho same year, and he ready and able to push
OTt shi)ots of eonsiderablo vigour in the spring. When autumn planting is impracticable,
the next best is iu the beginning of February, or as early as the season will permit.
2898. The. subject o f cyder and perry orchards we consider as belonging more to
agriculture than to horticulture. (Sec Encyc. o f Agriculture, P a it III.)
' £ !
C l IA P . IV.
O fth e general Cultivation and Management o f a Kitchen-garden.
2899. The cultivation o f a garden includes the pciformancc of all those things that are
requisite to a reasonable and prolific production of tho various vegetables and fruits
grown tlierein. 15y the management of a garden, is to be understood the keeping it in
such order, as that it mav not fail to give those impressions of pleasure it is calculated
to afford. A kitchen-garden, as well as a garden professedly ornamental, may and ought
to be agreeable to walk in, as well as profitably cultivated. A gardener may be well
acquainted with the culture of individual vegetables and fmits, and yet very deficient in
the general cultivation and management of his garden. The following sections relate
entirely to general [iractices conducive to these objects, and they deserve to be carefully
studied by the young gardener who aspires to reach any degree of enmicucc in his art.
S e c t . I. Culture and Management o f ihe Soil.
2900. The soil, Marshall observes, “ must be first attended to, always to keep the
fruit-bordcrs in licart, and the compartments in a proper state for use, when requfred to
receive either seeds or plants. Ground should never lie long without stirring ; for the
soil of a garden should be in a free, sweet, and rich state, by proper digging, &c., or no
great things can be done, as to early, handsome, or well flai'oured productions. It
should bo free, that tlie roots of plants may not be impeded in their quest of food; sweet,
that the food may be wholesome; and rich, that there may be no defect of nutriment.”
2901. Trenching the vacant ground in a gard n does good to all soils in the autumn
and winter seasons; and that in proportion to its strength, being indispensably necessary
for clays to separate and ameliorate the parts. Tlic light soils may do by being only
rough dug, which is a method that stronger soils will be also benefited by. The soil
would be still ftirther improved by re-trenching, or rough-digging, oncc or twice more
in the winter, if the opportunity offers, particularly if strong or stubborn. Let the
ridges lie E. and W., except the ground be a slope, when they may correspond.
2902. The trenching o f vacant ground, Abercrombie observes, “ should be fonvarded
as much as possible in winter, and early in spring. By repeatedly exposing a new surface
to tho action of the frost, a gi-eatcr quantity of the soil is ameliorated. In every
case where it is intended that the ground shall lie fallow any time, it is advisable, in
digging trenches, to turn up the earth roughly in rid g e s; foi-ming, parallel to each
trench, a single ridge of the same width, in order that tho soil may be the more
effectually mellowed, pulverised, and renovated by the weather. These ridges can be
expeditiously levelled, for the reception of seeds and plants ; which is a farther improvement
of the gi-ound.”
2903. To preserve the fertility o f kitchen-garden soil, the mode adopted by Nicol and
practised by tho best Scotch gai-deners, is the most scientific of any. Nicol observes,
that, as kitchen-vegetables do best on what is termed new land, it is a common complaint
among gardeners that their ground, by being, as it were, woni out, will not produce
certain kinds of vegetables ; not that it is poor and hungry, or altogether unfitted to the
production of' them, having formerly produced them in great abundance, but that the
surface has become tii-ed of these crops, in the same way as a field soivn with the same
sort of grain for two or three years in succession ceases to produce that grain in perfection.
The method which he practised with success is as follows : —
2904. First, it is necessary to have a depth o f soil from 24 in. to 36 i n . ; in which case it is obvious that,
if the depth of th e natura l soil is deficient, 24 in . must be made good by carrying in soil from fields of
good quality. Then take three crops off th e first surface, and afterwards trench three spits deep, by
which the bottom and top are reversed, and th e middle remains in th e middle. Take three crops off this
surface, and then trench two spits ; by which th e top becomes the middle, and th e middle th e top.
T ak e also th ree crops off this surface, and then trench th ree spits ; whereby that which was last the
middle, and now the top, becomes the bottom ; and th a t which is now th e bottom, and was th e surface
a t first, now becomes surface again, after having rested six years. Proceed in this manner alternately ;
th e one time trenching two spits deep, and th e other th ree ; by which means th e surface will always
be changed, and will rest six years, and produce three.
2905. Hence there will always be new soil in the garden, fo r Ike production o f wholesome vegetables; and
hence also will much loss manure be roquirctl, than when th e soil is shallow, and the same surface constantly
in crop. Nicol adds, that he would not advise tho soil to be more than 3 ft. deep, as the surface
migiit be buried too deep from the action of the weather, and infiuence of the sun and air. Where the
soil is only so deep as to allow of trenching two spits, by trenching every third or fourth year the ground
will rest half its time ; and if judiciously managed, and cropped in proper rotation, wholesome vegetables
may be produced on it for many years successively. It is not intended th a t the whole garden should be
trenched over the same season, “ one half or a third part a t a time may be more advisable, and also
more convenient.” (Kalendar, p. 16.)
S e c t . II. Manure.
2906. When manure is applied, the ground is not to be glutted with dung ; for, as
Marshall observes, “ a little at a time, well rotted, is suflicient, so that it comes often
enough, as opportunity and the natm-e of the cropping may dictate. I t is indeed a sort
of rule with gardeners, that ground should be dunged every second year ; but circumstances
may make more or less of it necessai-y, and rules should never be indiscriniinately
apiilied. I f dung is pretty well rotted, a less quantity ivill do^ and it should not be
buried too deep ; but if it is otherwise, lay it low, to be dug upwards another time, wlien
it is more consumed. It is an excellent way of manm-ing, where the supei-ficial soil is
much exliausted, to dig slightly, aud spread over rotten dung, late in autumn, in the
winter, or early in spring, and so let it remain, tiU the ground is wanted, before it is dug
in. This method is particularly to be recommended for crops of onions, leeks, and
similar superficial rooting plants.”
2907.
/ a n t s grow
used in great quantities, and lying in lumps, harbours worms, gmbs. and insects, and makes
>0 rampant and rank-flavoured. Carrots it cankers, and it disagrees with many things : it „„„..--.A „ „ — „1. „ „ A 40.— „ —„OT „ „OT...OT ..OTOTOT Z.. „ 1-apt also to make the ground parch, and burn the crops sown upon it in a h o- .t _s_u_m__m_ e..r.*!" XO. n .I1hése
accounts some persons have been induced to dress their gardens only with rich fresh earth ; which, if the
ground be not overcropped, will do very well, being accompanied with good tillage, which alone is of
much use, and is essential to due cultivation. 'Vegetables are always sweeter the less dung is used, and
little need be used when th e natural soil is good and deep ; for the earth may be so dug, th a t what is at
the top one year may be a t the bottom the next, a manoeuvre evidently advantageous, as a good part of
the strength of th e top soil washes downwards. The method ju st recommended, of letting dung lie on
the surface for a time, is good also, as it abates th e rankness of it. Lime sweetens.
2908. The periods fo r applying manures necessarily depend on th e soil and the mode of cropping. If the
original soil be poor, it may require aid from dung every year ; but, in general, the compartments in
which annuals and biennials are cultivated will want to be thus recruited a t least once in two years, when
the last autumn crops are off th e gromid. Beds occupied by perennials cannot sometimes receive any
material accession of new earth or compost for a number of years ; and, therefore, when the stools are
worn out, the repairs of the soil should, in proportion, be substantial, and go deep. I)ung is fit to ma-
nure beds for receiving many sorts of p , . . . ........ ....................
ginning to be well rotted ; but for particular purposes, it should lie from one to two years. Apply it for
amnin ualsi,.o 2tA i nJo. tAoort 3 in. thick; and for pere_n_n_i_a_l_s_ thAa .t Aa« re to _st_a_n_d1. lonrgd. _G_i_n_. oJr 8 in. t.h i.c kI ;’ sJp readinir i.t 'eMo'u-uawllvy,
within easy reach of the roots of the plants. In preparing ground for perennial stools,V portion orithe
dung should be deposited 6 in. deeper. (Aberci-or-'"'' '
f plants,when it has lain in a heap from three to six months, and is be-
'■ ’ ’ " l i e f r o - - - .
till the bed into which it is to be dug is covered ; then trench it in a m oderate spade deep th a t it mav be
------ ‘’- ' - ’ants. In p r e p a r ir............................ ^...............................................••
Abcro'ombie.)
2909. Manures are to be applied either as simples or compounds; but the latter method
Nicol considers the most eligible. He agrees with Jethro Tull in stating, that if they
have not undergone a proper fermentation, their effects are, giving a rank and disagreeable
flavour to fruits and vegetables, and, if an immoderate quantity be applied,
of producing a considerable degree of univholesomeness, and tainting the juices of all
plants.
2910. Amixtureofstable-dung,sea-weed,lime,andt'egetahlemould,'v;'h.\c\i\ia%\a\xi\nahQiq)iorthre(iotfo\\Y
months, and has been two or three times turned during that period, will make an excellent manure for
most kinds of garden land. Also, cow-dung, hog-dung, ancl sheep-dung, mixed with soot or with wood-
ashes. Pigeon-dung and vegetable mould, well mixed, will also make an excellent manure for heavy
land, or even for lighter soils, provided th e pigeon-dung be used sparingly.
Neats’-dung czTzii slightly fermented, are very fit and rich manures for light dry soils. For
those of a dry absorbent nature none answer better or last longer ; because they retain moisture for a
greater length of time, and also ferment more slowly than other dungs.
2912. Pigeon-dung, lime, soot, ashes, &c., should never be applied as simples; the quantity required being
comparatively small, and the regular distribution of them difficult, without th e admixture of other matter.
They should be generally applied to compost of good earth, turf, or sward, or of cow or other dung
of a cool nature ; applying them in quantity according to th e cold or the hot nature of the soil to be
manured, allowing th e compost a sufficient time to incorporate, and mixing it thoroughly.
2913. Stable-dung, i f used as a simple, should not be applied in too rank a state, nor should it be mvxh f e r mented.
It should generally lie in a heap for four or five weeks ; during which time it should he turned
over once or twice. A ton of it in this state is worth th ree of th a t which has been used in a hotbed, and
is a year old. This manure, and indeed dung of any kind, when applied as a simple, should never be
carried from the heap to the ground till it is to be dug in ; as, by exposure to the air, p a rt of its virtues
evaporate, and it is the less effectual.
2914. Sea-weed shouldbe applied instantly after landing. If used as a simple, it should be applied sooner
than stable-dung, as it very soon corrupts, and its juices being carried down into the soil are lost. If
this manure be used as a compound, the heap in which it is placed should be more frequently turned on
its account, th a t none of the juices may be lost, but that the other part of the compost may absorb them.
2915. Horse-dung, and the dung c f sheep, deer, and o f rabbits, are most eligible for cold wet soils; and all
these, or any of these in compost with lime, will be found beneficial. F o r such soils also, a compost of
coal-ashes, pigeon-dung, and lime ; or of wood-ashes, whin-ashes, fern-ashes, and stable-dung ; or of
deer-dung, rabbit-dung, soot, and bu rn t sward, will make a good manure.
2916. Manures are tobe applied in quantity according to their quality. Hence the dung of pigeons should
be applied in much smaller proportions than th a t of norses, it containing a greater quantity o f volatile
salts ; and so the ashes of vegetables containing a portion of fixed alkaline salts, being more powerful,
are to be applied in still smaller quantity. So, also, lime, being the most powerful of the calcareous
earths, should be applied, in ordinary cases, in much smaller quantity than marl.
«