SECT. IV. OF A GARIXEy, 47 



The soil must be first attended to, always to keep 

 the fruit borders in heart, and the quarters in a 

 proper state for use, when called upon to receive 

 either seeds or plants. Ground should never lie 

 long"without stirring ; for the soil of a garden, should 

 be in a free, sweet, and rich state, by proper dig- 

 ging, &c. or no great things can be done, as to for- 

 ward, handsome, or well flavoured productions. It 

 should be free, that the roots of plants may not be 

 impeded in the quest of food ; sweet, that the food 

 may be wholesome ; and rich, that there may be no 

 defect of nutriment. 



Trenching the vacant ground in a garden, does 

 good to all soils in the autumn and winter seasons, 

 and that in proportion to its strength being indis- 

 pensibly necessary for clays to separate and ame- 

 liorate the parts : The li^ht soils may do by being 

 only rough dug, which is a method that stronger 

 soils will be also benefited by. The soil would be 

 still farther improved, by re-trenching, or rough- 

 digging, once or twice more in the winter, if the 

 opportunity offers, particularly if strong or stubborn. 

 Let the ridges lie E. and W. except the ground be a 

 slope, when they may be in the direction that does. 



When manure is applied, the ground is not to be 

 glutted with dung; for a little at a time, well-rotted, 

 is sufficient, so that it comes often enough, as oppor- 

 tunity, and the nature of the cropping may dictate. 

 It is indeed a sort of rule with gardeners, that 

 groand should be dunged every second year ; but 

 circumstances may make more or less of it necessary, 

 and rules should never be indiscriminately applied. 

 If dung is pretty well reduced (as it were to earth) 

 much less will do, and let it not be buried too deep ; 

 but if it is otherwise, lay it low, to be dug upwards 

 another time, when it is more consumed. 



It is an excellent way of manuring, where the 

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