32 GROW YOUR OWN VEGETABLES 



the surface, the surface soil, after being manured, goes 

 to the second spit and each portion of the subsoil is 

 forked and manured as it is uncovered. Immediately 

 after this late autumn digging, the ground is steeply 

 ridged to present as great a surface to the frosts as 

 possible (Plate 3, Fig. 4), and then, in spring, is dug again 

 but not necessarily manured. The second digging will 

 proceed on the lines of the first, and in this way the two 

 upper layers of soil return to their original positions. 

 When time permits of only one digging, we must follow 

 the instructions pictured in Figs. 5 to 8. Dig out trench 

 AB and fork and manure portion C (Fig. 5). Then 

 transfer portionD from its position in Fig. 5 to that shown 

 in Fig. 6, and add manure. Now fork and manure E, 

 also transfer F, as shown in Fig. 6, to its position in 

 Fig. 7, and turn over G from where it stands in Fig. 7 to 

 its position in Fig. 8. Proceeding along these lines, we 

 turn over the two top layers of soil, keeping them in 

 their respective positions and, at the same time, the 

 subsoil is forked and manured. Ridging follows as 

 before and, when the surface is hard with a spell of frost, 

 plot C must be well limed. 



When this portion has been attended to, we turn to 

 plot A and treat as before but add no lime. Plot B is 

 finally dealt with, being dug lightly on the surface, with 

 no manure added. We must remember that the letter- 

 ing of these plots changes from year to year so that all 

 the portions of the allotment receive their due share of 

 attention in the course of three years. 



Never dig the ground over when covered with frost or 

 snow ; to turn in cold material may retard the sowing 

 time by weeks. Never walk unnecessarily on the surface 



