442 



A FEW WORDS ON THE KITCHEN GARDEN. 



mode about short crops, and poor vegeta- 

 tles, instead of setting about remedying 

 the evil in good earnest. 



The natural remedy for a heavy clay soil 

 in a kitchen garden, is to mix sand with it. 

 This acts like a charm upon the stubborn 

 alumina, and, allowing the atmospheric in- 

 fluences to penetrate where they were for- 

 merly shut out, gives a stimulus, or rather 

 an opportunity, to vegetable growth, which 

 quickly produces its result in the quantity 

 and quality of the crops. 



But it not unfrequently happens that sand 

 is not to be had abundantly and cheaply 

 enough to enable the proprietor of moderate 

 means to effect this beneficial change. In 

 this case, we propose to the kitchen gar- 

 dener to achieve his object by another 

 mode, equally efficient, and so easy and 

 cheap as to be within the reach of almost 

 every one. 



This is, to alter the texture of too heavy 

 soils, \)Y burning a portion of the clay. 



Very few of our practical gardeners seem 

 to be aware of two important facts. First, 

 that clay, when once burnt, never regains 

 its power of cohesion, but always remains 

 in a pulverised state ; and therefore is just 

 as useful, mechanically, in making a heavy 

 soil light, as sand itself. Second, that burnt 

 clay, by its power of attracting from the at- 

 amosphere those gases, which are the food of 

 vegetabl)^&s really a most excellent manure 

 itself. Hence, in any clayey kitchen gar- 

 den, where brush, faggots, or refuse fuel of 

 any description can be had, there is no rea- 

 son why its cold compact soil should not be 

 turned at once, by this process of burning 

 the clay, into one comparatively light, warm 

 and productive.* 



* A simple mode of burning: clay in the kitchen g'arden is 

 the following: j\l;ike a circle eight or ten feet in diameter, 

 by raising a wall of sods a couple of feet liign. Place a few 

 large sticks loosely crosswise in the bottom, and upon those 

 pile faggots or brush, and set fire to the whole. As soon as 

 it is well lighted, commence throwing on lumps of clay, put- 



The difficulty which stands in the way 

 of the kitchen gardener, who has to contend 

 with a very light and too sandy soil, is its 

 want of capacity for retaining moisture, 

 and the consequent failure of the summer 

 crops. 



In some instances, this is very easily 

 remedied. We mean in those cases where 

 a loam or heavier subsoil lies helotv the sur- 

 face. Trenching, or subsoil-ploughing, by 

 bringing up a part of the alumina from be- 

 low, and mixing it with the sand of the sur- 

 face soil, remedies the defect very speedi- 

 ly. But, where the subsoil is no better than 

 the top, or perhaps even worse, there are 

 but two modes of overcoming this bad con- 

 stitution of the soil. One of those, is to 

 grasp the difficulty at once by applying a 

 coat of clay to the surface of the soil, and 

 mixing it with the soil as you would ma- 

 nure ; the other, (a less expensive and more 

 gradual process,) is to manure the kitchen 

 garden every year with compost, in which 

 clay or strong loam forms a large propor- 

 tion. 



It may seem, to many persons, quite out 

 of the question to attempt to ameliorate 

 sandy soils by adding clay. But it is sur- 

 prising how small a quantity of clay, tho- 

 roughly intermingled with the loosest sandy 

 soil, will- give it a different texture, and con- 

 vert it into a good loam. And even in 



ting on as much at a time as may be without quite smothering 

 the fire. As soon as the fire breaks through a little., add more 

 brush, and then cover with more clay, till the heap is raised 

 as high as it can be conveniently managed. After lying till 

 the whole is cold, or nearly so, the heap should be broken 

 down and any remaining lumps pulverised, and the whole 

 spread over the surface and well dug in 



'■ As an example." says Loudon, " of the strong clayey soil 

 of a garden having been improved by burning, we may refer 

 to that of Willersly Castle, near Mattock, which the gardener 

 there, Mr. SiafTord, has rendered equal in friability and fer- 

 tility to any garden soil in the country. • When I first came 

 to this place,' says Mr. Stafford. ■ the garden was. for the most 

 part, a strong clay, and that within nine inches of the surface ; 

 even the most common article would not live on it; no wea- 

 ther appeared to suit it; at one time being covered by water ; 

 at another time rendered impenetrable by being too dry. 

 Having previously witnessed the good effects of burning 

 clods, I commenced the process, and produced, in a few days, 

 a composition three feet deep, and equal, if not superior, to 

 any soil in the country.' " — Suburban Horticulturist- 



