SOILS AND THEIR MANAGEMENT 197 



continue as before. It is possible to do double digging in 

 double the time that it takes to do single digging, but at 

 first it takes somewhat longer. However, the time is by 

 no means wasted. 



Allied to digging is " forking." In the Garden Calendar 

 there were directions to fork over shrubberies, etc. This 

 is done by lifting and carrying several clods of soil from one 

 end of a plot or bed to the other end till a little trench is 

 formed. The soil behind is then turned into this trench, 

 forming a new trench behind the first. This again is filled 

 by turning in the soil behind, and so on, the last trench 

 being filled with the soil first taken out. 



Trenching : There are two kinds of trenching simple 

 trenching and false trenching. False trenching is resorted 

 to where there is not sufficient depth of good soil. Trench- 

 ing is important if not essential, and it is a good plan to 

 trench each flower border every three or four years. This 

 is best done during the winter. 



For simple trenching the plot is divided into sections 

 2 or 3 ft. wide. The soil is taken out throughout the length 

 of the first section to the depth of two spades or " spits " 

 as they are often called, that is, to a depth of about 2 ft. 

 This soil is wheeled away to be used to fill in the last section 

 of the plot. Then break up the soil at the bottom of the 

 trench, dig in some manure, and put a layer of manure on 

 the top. Now proceed to dig the top "spit" of soil of 

 the second section, turning it over into the open trench of 

 the first section. After covering this with manure lift 

 the second spit of the second section on to the top of the 

 first section which will then be filled in to its original level, 

 leaving the second section open. This of course is treated 

 in a similar way, from soil taken from the third section, 

 working in manure as before ; and so on throughout the 

 plot, the last section of the plot being filled in by the soil 

 wheeled away from the first section. Thus in true or simple 

 trenching the second spit of soil is brought to the surface, 

 and the top soil is buried. 



It will now be easy to see why true or simple trenching 



