How to manage a Garden 



also equally certain that all vegetable and animal matter 

 can be safely and advantageously returned to the land 

 in the form of manure. The only condition laid down 

 is that matter is not returned which will bring with it 

 the danger of a large crop of very undesirable weeds. 

 In view of this the principle must be laid down and 

 strictly adhered to, that all weeds which increase largely 

 by their roots or underground stems, such as couch 

 grass, colt's foot, "old man's beard," nettles, docks, &c., 

 should either be burnt or staked in a heap to rot. The 

 ordeal of fire is at once the quickest and safest. With 

 the exception of these weeds and those of a like nature, 

 all vegetable refuse should be returned to the land. 

 Now, in forming a new garden there is afforded an ex- 

 cellent opportunity of disposing of much of such matter 

 with great advantage to the soil. In speaking of mock 

 trenching or double digging it was advised that manure 

 be incorporated with the lower layer of soil. This 

 manure could well be dispensed with if a sufficiency of 

 vegetable refuse, weeds, decaying vegetables, &c., were 

 at hand to take its place. To those who object to this 

 method of economy on the ground that the garden 

 would be full of weeds, I would reply that it must be 

 within their own knowledge that seeds will not germinate 

 at a depth of eighteen to twenty-four inches below the 

 surface. That the disposal of rubbish in this way is 

 economical may be amply proved by the fact that many 

 gardens receive no other form of manure, and yet yield 

 rich crops year after year. It will be readily agreed 

 that such a system can only be carried out under 

 thorough cultivation, for it is essential that the rubbish 



