The Busy Woman s Garden Book 



areas is far preferable to an isolated plot as it may 

 be ploughed in conjunction with the larger piece 

 and so kept in a better grade and condition. An 

 isolated garden plot, which must be prepared 

 separately necessitating a dead furrow in the 

 center, becomes, in the course of a few years a 

 dish shaped area very disagreeable to cultivate; 

 an open area, on two sides at least, obviates this in 

 a measure and renders the ground more level and 

 easily prepared. 



Any garden spot, however, should always be 

 ploughed rather than spaded and as deep plough- 

 ing as possible should be the rule. If the soil is 

 good go as close to the bottom of it as possible, 

 the shallow ploughing so universal — seldom more 

 than six inches in depth, does not give a mellow 

 bed for any but shallow rooted vegetables. Car- 

 rots, salsify, parsnips and similar long-rooted 

 things must fairly drill their way into the hard 

 ground below the shallow cultivation, this result- 

 ing in deformed, stunted or many twigged roots, 

 unsalable and of little value for the home table. 

 The long, smooth, beautiful bottoms are only pro- 



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