Occupations > Abercrombie's improved practical gardener; with a monthly calendar for the flower garden

10
INTRODUCTION.
respecting the quantity of ground for a garden,
we will say for a family of four persons (exclu¬
sive of servants) a rood, and so on in proportion,
allowing it to be larger, rather than too small.
In order to bring the produce of the soil to the
greatest perfection, the garden should be shelter¬
ed from the east, north, and west winds, by
“Hills and rising ground, clothed with the fir trees’
spreading shade; ”
but the shelters should be at such a distance, on
all sides, as not to prevent the sun’s rays in the
spring, when every one is of the utmost value.
In the next place, and with the exception of
situation and exposure, the soil of a garden is
obviously of the greatest consequence; this
should be a moderately light mellow loam, and
if mixed with silvery grit the better; it should
not be of a binding nature in summer, nor re¬
tentive of an undue quantity of wet in winter,
but of such a texture as may be worked at any
season of the year. The soil of a garden should
be at least eighteen inches deep, but if two feet
so much the better, for when the plants are in a
state of maturity, if the roots of most kinds are
minutely tiaced, they will be found to penetrate
mto the earth in search of food to that depth or
more, providing the soil be of such a nature as
to admit them. The very worst soil is a heavy
clay, and the next a light loose sand; a mode¬
rate clay, however, is preferable to a very light
soil, though not so pleasant to work, yet the