A KITCHEN GARDEN. 101 



which, to my great astonishment, proved not to be 

 holes and became acquainted with the uses of the 

 various garden implements. The quality and nature 

 of the soil was quite a puzzle ; but, as it had been 

 ascertained by sinking the well that the upper six 

 feet was a stiff, clayey substance, and beneath there 

 was a pure stratum of sand, there could be little 

 doubt but it must be a loam, which is described as a 

 mixture of clay and sand. It was a fine, strong yel 

 low, and my general impression was that loam is 

 dark ; but of its depth there could be no question, 

 as the well-diggers went down forty-five feet before 

 they reached water, and encountered no rock what 

 ever. 



There were many surprising statements in &quot;Bridge- 

 man s Assistant.&quot; It would seem natural that seeds, 

 especially of radishes, beets, or carrots, should be 

 planted at least a foot deep, so that the root might 

 be long ; but the author insisted that they should be 

 covered with only two inches of earth. Unfortu 

 nately, however, as my investigations proceeded, some 

 pleasing illusions were dissipated ; one vegetable after 

 another had to be given up, for the entire kingdom 

 seemed to be governed by the most absurd laws ; and 

 when it was ascertained that strawberries would not 

 bear the first season, and that asparagus might pro- 



