The compleat gard'ner, or, Directions for cultivating and right ordering of fruit-gardens and kitchen-gardens with divers reflections on several parts of husbandry, in six books : to which is added, his treatise of orange-trees, with the raising of melons, omitted in the French editions / by the famous Monsr De La Quintinye ... ; made English by John Evelyn ... ; illustrated with copper plates.

CHAP. XII.

Of what is to be done to correct a Defective Ground, either as to the Quality of the Earth, or the Lack of a sufficient Quantity.

WHereas the most material Article for Fruit and Kitchen-Gardens is to have a good Ground, if notwithstanding the Ground where this Garden is to be situated should have some considerable Defect, which might be corrected, I think I should be blame-worthy to go on without explaining my self upon what I think proper to be done in such a Case; in my Opinion, those kind of Defects may be reduc'd particularly to Five.

• The First, is a very bad Earth.
• The Second, an indifferent Earth.
• The Third, a pretty good Earth, but not enough of it.
• The Fourth, to have no Earth at all.
• The Fifth and Last, That though never so good, the too great Moisture it may be subject to, may render it incapable of Improvment by the Culture of a Skilful Gard'ner.

As to the first Case, I cannot forbear pitying those who start so Ill, as to make a Gar∣den in a place where the Ground is absolutely defective, especially if there were any possi∣bility of placing it better. First, I pity them, by reason of the great charge they expose themselves to, which I dread of all things, especially in Fruit and Kitchen-Gardens, being perswaded that the property of those Gardens is to cost little, and to yield much. Second∣ly, I pity them for the small Success, that infallibly attends such an undertaking, espe∣cially when those Works that are necessary there, are only perform'd by halves: I wish none of the Curious may be expos'd to such Hardships; but yet supposing an unavoid∣able Necessity of falling into the first Case, to make a Garden in a very bad Ground, let us consider what remedy may be apply'd to it, and finally endeavour to make this Garden with as few Defects, and as small a Charge as can be possible.

First then, if the Earth be absolutely defective, either in stinking or being absolute Loam or Clay, or such as is dug out of Quarries, or else Stony, Gravelly and full of Pebbles; or, lastly, being only dry Sand of any Colour, but still as unfruitful as the Sand of Rivers, and yet as high as to the Surface, as can be desir'd for a Garden. I will explain hereafter what I mean by that height.

I say, if this Earth happen to have any of these Defects, I know no better Expedient than to have it altogether taken away, in order to succeed, and that within the Depth of three Foot in such Places as are to be the chief Ornaments of the Gardens; viz. the Trees and long Rooted Plants, and two large Foot where the lesser Plants are to be, filling it up again with the same quantity of the best Mould that can conveniently be brought to it; which being done, one may rest satisfy'd for a long while, all will go well, without the trouble of any other Amendments; but in case so much good Mould as would be necessary to put every where, could not conveniently be had; at least it will be necessary to endeavour to get as much as may serve for the Trees, making a shift with indifferent good Mould for the rest of the Garden, that is, for Kitchen-Plants, it will not be difficult to amend it, as shall be declar'd hereafter.

I am sensible, that the Charge of great Transportations, frightens, especially in the case of large Gardens, but then 'tis but seldom that People engage themselves to the Ne∣cessity of it; those are works for Kings, the Kitchen Garden of Versailles is a terrible Instance of it: But as for small City Gardens, the occasions of doing it are often met with, and whereas the Expence of it is not too great, the Undertaking of it is very tollerable. This then is all that is to be done, when the Surface of the Garden is no higher than it ought to be, and has no other Defect than the ill Quality of the Ground.

In order to Explain my self as to this height, I suppose that the Matter in Hand only relates to the Garden that is immediately next the House, for which it is, and no wise for others, which Lying at a greater distance do not want so much precaution; now, in my Opinion, this first Garden ought to lie somewhat lower than the House, and thus the House being upon a higher Ground, it ought to have a Ballustre with some Steps to come down into that Garden, which is an Ornament to be wish'd for in such Occasions, and without doubt such an assent of Two or Three Foot above the Surface of the Garden, renders it much more pleasant to Sight, than it would be, if it lay level with the step of the Door, and consequently much finer than those that lay higher than the level or floor; which re∣quire an assent, and are thereby liable to great Inconveniences.

I return to the other Cases heretofore propos'd to say, That in case such a Place full of ill Earth, were too low, of about Five or Six Foot in Surface, it is visible that half the Expence would be sav'd, since there would only be a necessity of raising it higher, with∣out taking any of it away; but however we must still reckon first on the small descent the Garden ought to be situated upon, in relation to the House; and, secondly upon the Three Foot of Earth that must be brought thither, particularly for the Trees and large Plants, and in order not to be mistaken, it will be proper to measure that Earth upon the place where it is to be taken with a rul'd Gage, by reason that this height of Three Foot, as it lies, being newly stir'd, will at first appear to make a greater Dimension, which af∣terwards being settled will reduce it self to the height propos'd, which I hold to be abso∣lutely neccssary, and unless care has been taken to measure the Earth before the moving of it, People must not flatter themselves that there will be enough, unless there be Four Foot or thereabouts in the first Months, which the Rains and Time will soon reduce to Three; otherwise, having had but Three Foot at first, they will soon find it dwindled to Two at most; that is too little by a Foot: And thus People will be expos'd to the Vexationof seeing all their Trees perish at the end of a few Years, and to be reduc'd to begin a new, if they continu'd in the mind of mkaing their Trees succeed.

In the Neighbourhood of great Cities, great Conveniences may sometimes be met with to raise and fill up places in Gardens without much cost, 'tis only allowing the Liberty of throw∣ing the Rubbish of the Foundations of Houses there; but often such Conveniences cost a great deal of Time, which in the Case of Planting is much to be fear'd, and even costs a great deal of Money to have it sifted, otherwise the Garden will be in danger of having more Stones and ill Sand than real Earth, and consequently the Owner of having an ill Garden; upon which every one may consult his Purse and Pleasure, and regulate himself accordingly.

The Answer I have made to the first Article, relating to a very ill Earth, where a Gar∣den is design'd, may likewise serve for the Fourth, in which we suppose a place for a Garden without any Earth at all; Three Foot of good Earth must be brought to it, getting it as near hand as can be to save Money.

In the Second Case, in which the Ground having a sufficient depth, the Earth is notwith∣standing but Indifferent; that is, either a little too dry and light, or a little too tough and moist, which are the two common Defects; or else, that there may be cause to judge it too much ••orn or exhausted: In such cases, immediate care must be taken to mend it, sup∣posing one designs to have such Things in it as good Earth produces; the best of all Re∣medies is still to mix some new Earth with it, with this precaution, to mix loamy Earth with that as is light, and sandy Mould with that as is tough; and, in fine, to take such as is really good, to mix with that which is worn out or exhausted, unless you design to give it time to amend it self by Rest: And in case, as I have already said in the first Article, there be no sufficient convenience to get Mould enough for the whole Garden, it will be proper to begin with the place for the Trees which requires it most; and for the rest, recourse must be had to the common Amendments for Kitchen-Plants.

Thirdly, When the Earth is really good; but yet there is not enough of it to accomplish Three Foot depth, two Considerations are to be had; the first to examine whether the Surface be of a proper height or not: When it is of a proper height, all that is nought in the Ground must of necessity be removed, whether Sand, Gravel or Stones, putting as much good Mould in the Room of it, as will be necessary to have the depth requir'd, still preserving our Height.

Therefore the same Operation must be perform'd, in removing all that is bad under good Earth, when the Surface being, too high compar'd to the level of the House, there is a necessity of sinking it, in order to be one step higher than the level of the Garden; upon which all People may easily regulate themselves, to do it more or less ac∣cording to the Exigencies of their Ground and its wants; but still, keeping to the quantity of good Earth propos'd, as well as to the distance that must be from the Sur∣face of the Garden to the Door which serves for an Entrance into it.

The Earth being according to our Wishes, both as to quantity and goodness, and yet too low in the Surface; we must likewise examin how much too low it lyes, in order to raise it conformably to our Wants and Wishes; it might chance to lay so low, that there would be a necessity to raise it considerably above three Foot, in which case all the good Earth must be dug up, and laid aside, and the bottom rais'd sufficiently with what ever could be got good or bad; after which the good Earth must be laid over it again with the ma∣nagement and mixture heretofore explain'd. I could wish I had better Expedients to pro∣pose to avoid the Charges of Transportation; but truly I know none.

There now remains to Examine what is to be done in the fifth Case, to correct the over great Moistures some Gardens are subject to, which rot every thing, and make the Pro∣duction not only backward, but also insipid and bad; none but hot and dry Earths are forward; those that are moist are always cold, and consequently have no disposition for * 1.1 Novelties. This cold which is inseparable from Moisture, is of all defects the most diffi∣cult to be cur'd: The Ancients knew it as well as we do, and have given it the Name of Deceiver. But still since Earth has been submitted to the Industry of Man, and that there are but few things labour cannot overcome; let us declare what a long Experience has taught us in this Case.

Moistures are either natural and perpetual in Earth, or only accidental and passing; in the first case we have two Expedients:

The first is, to turn aside at a distance, if possible, by Conduits or Gutters, the Wa∣ters that annoy us, and give them a discharge to remove them from us, which being done, the Ground will not fail becoming dry; and when the first is impracticable,

The second is, To raise the whole Plats, or only the great Beds upon Ridges, and to that end make deep Furrows to serve for kind of Paths: The Earth that is taken from thence will serve to raise the Plats or Beds.

But if those Moistures are only Transitory, and, for Instance, only occasion'd by great Rains, and the nature of the Ground not proper to soak them in, recourse must be had to the same Expedient of raising of the Earth to drain them, and to the making of Con∣duits or Gutters to carry those Waters out of the Garden.

Finally, The Moisture not being extraordinary, the contrary of what we have pre∣scrib'd for very dry Grounds must be done, that is, the Earth must be rais'd a little high∣er than the Walks, to the end that those Walks may serve as a drain to those elevated Beds, just as in the other Case the haughing of the Borders serves as a drain to receive and improve by the Waters of the adjacent Walks.

In order to raise Grounds, nothing can be better than what we have said to raise the Surface; and in case Conveniences be wanting for the Transportation of Earth, having abundance of great Dung at hand, it may be us'd instead of it, as I have said about the Kitchen-Garden of Versailles, mixing it abundantly at the bottom of the Ground, or under∣neath the Earth, in order to raise it as much as is necessary; but still great Conduits are of great use.

I conclude what relates to the Preparation of such Grounds as are defective, either in their quality, or too small quantity, carefully exhorting those who dig the Ground along some Walls, to take care first not to approach too near the Foundations, and to leave always some solid Banck undug, lest the Wall might tumble down by its own weight, or by some unexpected showers. I exhort in the second place to fill up such Trenches immediately after their being empty'd, or rather at the very same time, one part after another; for want of which, and for the same Reasons, the danger of tumbling is yet greater.

After having examin'd what relates to the Conditions that are necessary for the Fruit and Kitchen-Gardens that are to be made, viz. The quality and quantity of good Earth, the happy Situation, and favourable Exposure, the convenience of Waterings, the level of the Ground, the Figure, Entrance and Closure of the Garden, together with the Proximity of the Place; having also propos'd the means to correct the de∣fects of Drought and Moisture, there still remains to speak upon the Subject of the Acclivities and Declivities, when they are too sleep for the Gardens we are absolutely compell'd to choose.

Notes

• * 1.1

  At sceleratum exquirere frigus difficile est. Georg. 2. Labor omnia vincit improbus, &c. Virg. Georg. 1.