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solil to the public in tho foim of piants, roots, or seeds. Tliose may be exocplcd which
are grown in the flowor-gardon, rockwork, and aquarium.
6275. A nursenj-orchard should be formed of some compartments near tlic house ; and
in tlicse, one or two plants of each of the hardy standard fruit trees should be planted,
ill order to come into bearing, nnd admit of proving the kinds ; and from wliich alone
the grafts and buds should bo taken (unless on the introduction of new and yaliiable
sorts, in which case sucli grafts as can he got must ho taken tiil somc of the progeny
moved to the nurscry-orchard como into a bearing stato), which aro to be used in the
nursery. This orcliard should be surrounded by a wall, on which specimens of such
sorts of plums, clierrics, and pears, may ho grown, as do not ripen well as standards ;
the hardier sorts of grapcs, and peaches, nectarines, and apricots. The tenderer sorts of
vines, and some few poaches, whicli are tender in the northern counties, may bo grown,
one o’f a sort, under each rafter in the range of hothouses.
6276. The compartments fo r stools o f every description, and the borders fo r cutUngs,
should be as near the house as possible ; as on these, men arc employed a greater number
of days in the year than on any other of the compartments, and it is therefore desirable
that such comp.artments should be more immediately under the eye of the master.
6277. T r u i t -tree and seed-bed compartments should come next ; then transplanted shrubs;
next young forest trees transplanted ; and, in most distant parts, the larger forest
trees, as requiring least culture of all. But a proper attention to rotation will not admit
of this arrangement being completely attended to ; and to keep the ground in good heart
is as essential to success as keepmg the men at work.
6278. In some o f the principal London nurseries which have risen to their present
eminence by degrees ; and where consequently one building or additional object has been
added to another as wanted, without having any general plan in view, tlio greatest confusion
in appearance, and a considerable loss of labour, arc the final result. The best
way in such a case is to pull down great part of the hothouses and outbuildings, and rearrange
the whole on somc plan which will admit of a regular tour of inspection, either
by the master or stranger visitants. A fine example of this is given at the establishment
of the Messrs. Loddiges ; whose aiTangement, and mode of displaying the wholc to
strangers, is of the most perfect description.
C279. The Hackney nursery (fig. 1020.), or commercial botanic garden, affords an example of a small
irregular spot, laid out both with due consideration as to effect, botanical science, and ^ ....
economyas to culture. The entrance (a) leads to the range of hothouses, and commences
with th e stoves (&), proceeds to the grand palm-house (c), thence to the
dry-stove bulbs, and other articles (d ),to the douldecamellia-house (o), and the
greenhouse plants ( / ) . The area enclosed by these buildings is devoted to
the culture of plants in pits and frames, to heds of rare American and herbaceous
plants, and to collections in pots ready for sale. T h e outside
space on th e north side (g) is used as a depository for soils, pots, and
other agents of cultnre ; and for propagating pits [h), and nursery
plantations of delicate articles. The visitant having arrived a t the
end of the artificial climates, n ex t enters on the course of the
arboretum ( f f f ) . which is arranged alphabetically, and o
cupies one side o fa winding walk, till it has exhausted all
th e trees and shrubs which will grow in the open air,
with the exception of some of the more common
species, of the roses, and American select shmbs.
This walk crosses a public lane (k), on an elevated
bridge, and, entering an irregular piece of
ground, winds round it till it terminates in an
American ground in the centre (« 0 . composed
of a series of revolutions of grass
walks, with intervening beds of bog
earth, displaying a complete collection.
T h e arboretum alphabet
is only carried along th e right
hand of the arhoretum walk
O'f f), and on the left hand
is a complete collection of
roses for a c(*rtain length,
and then herbaceous plants
for the rest of th e space.
The ’beauty of this a rrangement
IS, that there is
no interruption to the series
when once entered on,
while at the.sametimeany
of th e genera along the
winding paths may be gone
to a t once by small paths,
which occur hereand there
across the borders. A visitant
wishing to see tho
American collection only,
will proceed at once to its
commencement (/), and
windalongittill he arrives
a t its termination (fn). and
soon. The arboretum contains
a number of species
and varieties not before introduced, or
hitherto neglected in this country.
Every species commences with a named
specimen, left to attain its natural size
and shape next the walk ; behind, in a
line, are stools for laying or stocks for
grafting, and th en ex t two or three lines
are devoted to the reception of the
young plants till sold or disposed of.
This mode saves much trouble in cultu
re, and a t once shows the purchaser
th e sort of tree he is to get, and assures
him that he is getting its real progeny.
The names of th e trees and American
shrubs, and the numbers of the herbaceous
plants and roses, are painted on
the ends of bricks, which are let half
their length into the ground, in an oblique
manner, so th at their ends may
meet th e eye a t a favourable angle.
6280. O f florists' gardens there arc two sorts; the first for the purpose of forcing
flowers in pots, for drawing-room gardens, and raising others in the open air for the
flower-markct; and the second for the propagation and culture of florists’ flowers, in
order to vend thcir bulbs and plants. Both should be situated near alarge town, as a
market for theproduce of the first kind ;,and to insure visiters to the flower-shows of
the second. A low situation, if possible near tho sea, but at all events with a humid
atmosphere, is to be prefeiTed for the culture of bulbs; and no florists’ flower will thrive
in an atmosphere impregnated with coal smoke. Very little skill is necessary for laying
out either of these gardens, to those who understand the culture they require. The hothouse,
pit, and frame departments should be kept together; close to them the compost,
dung, and tan grounds or sheds; next the ground where pots of roses, &c., are plunged ;
and the most distant parts remain to be devoted to the culture of flowers or flowering
shrubs in the open ground. Eor the conveniency both of culture, without treading on
the plants, and of gathering the flowers, the whole is generally laid out in beds: sometimes
with box-edgings, but more commonly without any, which, for bulbs and plants to
be annually removed, admits of more effectual culture.
6281. Market-gardens are of two kinds ; those cultivated by manual labour, and those
wholly or in part by the plough. In choosing a fit situation fora market-garden, regard
must not only be had to the requisites for a good kitchen-garden, as to shelter, soil,
water, &c., but to the probable market kind of produce to be grown, &c. The extent
must depend jointly on these circumstances and the capital to be employed. The
smallest extent of surface and capital is that in which a man performs the whole of the
labour himself, and this so entirely de]iends on the articles cultivated, the nature of the
soil,* and modc of culture, that it may vaiy from one to two acres, and, where grain
and seed crops aro introduced, to a greater number. As to the quantity of ground
which a man of capital may manage by this way, no limits can well be assigned to an
active and vigilant master. Some London gardens of this description, entirely cultivated
by manual labour, exceed 100 acres. In layingout a market-garden there cannot
be said to be any thing peculiar : the general points of order, distinctness of compai-t-
mcnts, and keeping the plots as much as possible in squares and parallelograms, are of
obvious importance. It is strange that, among the great mass of books that have been
published on the subject of gardening, no English work has, as far as wc are aware,
been published on market-gardens. In Fi-ance, the case is different, and there are
some excellent works on market-gardens and market-gardeners, detailing all that is
necessary to be known on the subject. It is very much to be wished that some intelligent
market-gardener would take the subject up, and write on it.
6282. Puhlic orchards are of various kinds: garden orchards, where the ground is
cultivated and cropped with culinary vegetables or small fruits; arable orchards, where
the trees arc in rows, and the spaces between in aration; and pasture orchards, wliere the
trees are scattered over pasture lands. In fixing on a situation for either kind, the three
chief points are soil, subsoil, and shelter, which have been already considered in treating
on private orchards, as well as the planting and kinds of fruit trees.
6283. Physic or herb gardens, if for growing aquatic herbs, as mint, should be situated
in a low moist soil; if for aromatic herbs, as lavender, rosemary, &c., on a dry poor soil;
and if for roses and similar plants, which produce flower-leaves for the distiller, the soil
should be loamy and rich. In laying out this kind of garden, the only point in which
skill is requisite, is the contrivance of a system of in-igation for the mints.
6284. Seed gardens, or seed fai-ms, requfre a dry soil; and two should never be situated
together, if destined for seeds which will injure each other by cross fecundation. Ali
the ait required for these gardens coiisists in cropping, so as to insure seeds tme to their
kind. Indeed, the culture is by fai* the most important consideration, not only in this,
but in the four preceding descriptions of public gai'dens ; and this is still more the case
with respect to gardens fo r peculiar crops, as for the bulbs of the white lily, riuibarb-roots,
liquorice, &c.; wliich, as to laying out, require no farther notice.
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