PLOWING AND CROPPING THE GROUND. 21 



tact with them, and becomes less and less valuable, 

 the louger the sariie particles remain, until it is a cause 

 of absolute injury. 



If the hole, therefore, is dug deeper than the sur- 

 rounding soil is loosened, the lower part of it will 

 retain water for an unhealthy action upon the roots 

 planted in it. But if the earth is loosened over the 

 whole held, as lovv- as the bottom of the deepest hole, 

 the drainage from that hole is perfected, and the 

 otlierwise stagnant water will li(jw olf, provided an 

 ouffall from the field is secured. 



An excellent plan for those who are pressed for 

 time is, to plow five or six furrows, twice deepened, 

 or subsoilcd, in the lir.e where the planting of a row 

 of trees is intended, and omit the intervening spaces 

 until a later period. Let these furrows be run, if 

 possible, in the direction of the slope of the ground, 

 to act as drains. 



Those horticulturists, however, who intend perform- 

 ing their v\^ork in the most thorough manner, should 

 take this rule as their standard. 



Pulverize the soil of the whole field to a depth 

 greater than the longest roots will be planted, and 

 this can only be well done by 



TEENCniNG. 



As frecpiently performed, the best results of trench- 

 ing are not attained. The true design of its perform- 

 ance is, to add to the depth of the soil, without 

 destroying its capability. 



When the fertile earth near the surface is thrown 



