GENERAL REMARKS. 



17 



The nearer the ground approaches to a sandy soil, the less 

 retentive will it be of moisture ; the more to a clayey, the 

 longer will it retain it ; and the finer the particles of which 

 the clay is composed, the more tenacious will it be of water, 

 and, consequently, the longer in drying, and the harder when 

 dry ; but earth of a consistence that will hold water the long- 

 est, without becoming hard when dry, -is, of all others, the best 

 adapted for raising the generality of plants in the greatest 

 perfection. This last described soil is called loam, and is a 

 medium earth, between the extremes of clay and sand. 



I have, in most cases, recommended drills to be made at 

 certain depths for the different kinds of seed ; and when I 

 have stated that the drills should be two inches deep, it is 

 intended that the seed should be covered only one inch, 

 which it will be when planted in these drills, and covered ; 

 and so in proportion for any other depth required. This 

 may serve as a guide to the young gardener, but circum- 

 stances alter cases ; if, for instance, some particular crops 

 should fail, this would render it necessary, if the season be 

 far advanced, to risk a farther planting of seed, even if the 

 weather be hot and the ground dry. If this be planted a 

 little deeper, it may escape the violent heat of the sun, and 

 in the event of a shower, the ground would become suffi- 

 ciently moist to bring it up ; whereas it sometimes happens 

 that seed sown after a shower does not vegetate until after the 

 season is too far advanced to bring the crop to perfection. 



The work of drilling by thgse who have no machine, may 

 be performed in various ways ; in some cases a plough is 

 used, in others a small hoe, or a dibble drawn along the edge 

 of a board or line ; it is of little consequence which way the 

 work is done, if it be well done. While I leave the gardener 

 to make his own choice of tools, I would suggest that he be 

 provided with two or three drilling machines ; these, every 

 handy man can make for himself; they should be in the 

 form of a garden rake, with a stout, heavy back, and five 

 teeth, about two inches broad, and tapered so as to enter the 



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