How to bring Land under Tilth 



course of treatment if possible every year, but certainly 

 every two years, the lower layer of soil will become suffi- 

 ciently ameliorated to be brought little by little to the 

 surface ; and by a constant repetition of the work the whole 

 two feet of soil will become of a uniformly good character. 

 This is often called bastard, mock trenching, or double 

 digging. 



There is also what is termed trenching proper, which 

 cannot be so unguardedly commended, but which will be 

 briefly described. The land, as in the previous case, is 

 divided into plots, and these in turn subdivided into strips 

 two feet wide. The first trench, three feet wide and two 

 feet deep, is then taken out and wheeled away. The 

 second strip, two feet wide, is dug on to the newly-opened 

 trench in such a way that what was formerly the surface soil 

 is buried, and the second spit is brought to the top. Now 

 it will seldom be found that the lower layer of soil is in a 

 condition fit for plant culture, and it will take several years 

 for it to become so. Thus we bury the better class of soil 

 and operate upon the worse, which is obviously not an 

 economic process. 



Digging:. 



Digging as compared with trenching is but a half-hearted 

 mode of cultivation, but on that account it must not be 

 despised, but rather be more encouraged. Having had the 

 advantage of seeing the work of digging done in many and 

 widely separated parts of England, I must give the verdict 

 that the proper way to dig is known to. or at any rate prac- 

 tised by, only a few. A famous gardener used to say that 



