The Preparation of the Garden 



have to be prepared by spading. The labor 

 of getting them ready for the reception of seed 

 will be more than is demanded in the garden 

 where the plow can be made use of, but it will 

 not be found so excessive as most amateurs 

 may imagine. If you provide yourself with a 

 thin-bladed spade and keep it sharp, the work 

 can be done rapidly, and it will not be found as 

 exhaustive as you most likely thought would 

 be the case before you settled down to business. 

 One will be surprised to see how much ground 

 can be spaded up in an hour. A little time 

 devoted to this work each day for a week or so 

 will put the garden of the ordinary village lot 

 in proper shape for planting. I am not sure 

 but the spaded garden has some advantages 

 over the plowed one. The soil can be turned 

 up just where you want it, and as you want it, 

 by the use of the spade, while the plow works 

 alike throughout the garden, though the soil 

 may vary in depth and nature to a considerable 

 extent. A spaded garden always looks best 

 at the beginning, and looks count in gardening 

 as well as elsewhere. But the gardener who 

 has a liking for neatness will make his garden 

 look well, after a little, in spite of all obstacles. 



35 



