ON TRENCHING GROUND. 85 



Then would they, for the first time, exclaim with Milton, — 



" Sweet is the breath of morn ! her rising, sweet 

 With charm of earliest birds ; pleasant the sun, 

 When first on this delightful land he spreads 

 His orient beams on herb, tree, plant, and flower, 

 Glitt'ring with dew." 



ARTICLE IV. 



ON TRENCHING GROUND, IN ORDER TO EXPOSE THE SOIL 



TO FROST. 



BY ARIKS, OP TONBUIDOE WEI.I.S. 



Not being aware that the following mode of exposing the soil to the 

 influence of frost has been practised by gardeners, I beg to introduce 

 it to the notice of horticulturists through the medium of your valuable 

 magazine. 



In the autumn I dig wide deep trenches, and throw up the earth as 

 high as possible in the middle, thereby leaving on each side a hollow 

 trench. As soon as the first frost has formed a hard crust I throw 

 the soil down into the trench on each side ; and this I repeat as often 

 as there is a fresh crust formed by the frost, till the whole has been 

 exposed, when there will be formed two ridges instead of one. By 

 this means I have, even this mild winter, subjected the part of my 

 garden so treated to the frost to a considerable depth, while in the 

 unmoved ground it has never penetrated far below the surface. It 

 will be observed that a continuance of frost is not necessary for the 

 performance of this work, but that every short period of it may be 

 taken advantage of. The labour, besides being done at the least 

 busy time, is very trifling, and is most amply repaid, particularly on 

 stiff soil, by the ease with which it is afterwards worked, owing to its 

 state of division from being mellowed and made friable, every part 

 being exposed to the atmosphere. No plan can more effectually 

 destroy insects or the seeds of weeds. 



[This article should have gone in our last number, as intended hy 

 our correspondent; but, having been received only four days before 

 the close of February, it was too late to be inserted. — Conductor.] 



