82 The Profitable Culture of Vegetables. 



If the ground is old pasture it will probably be more or less 

 infested with wireworm, and these pests will be sure to cause 

 serious losses unless some decided means are taken to get 

 rid of them. By far the best plan to effect this is to skim off 

 the turf and burn or char it black. When this is done there 

 is not only an assurance that the garden is started free of 

 noxious insects and fungi, but if the soil is heavy its texture 

 will be much improved and the inert potash it contains will be 

 rendered available for plant food. Failing burning, one of the 

 advertised wireworm specifics should be used. 



With the exception of the two sections reserved for hot-beds 

 the whole of the ground must be bastard trenched, and a 

 dressing of good rich manure at the rate of two tons to each 

 section, worked in between the top and bottom spits. If the 

 land is in grass, and burning is not to be resorted to, the top 

 two inches should be skimmed off at each spit, chopped up and 

 put directly on the manure, and then covered with the next 

 spadeful of top soil, adding a wireworm specific according to 

 the directions of the manufacturers. 



After the soil has been weathered for some time it must be 

 dug over again, half a spit deep, so as not to disturb the sod 

 and manure which lies below the top spit. The proper con- 

 dition of the soil is a matter of the greatest importance and no 

 effort must be spared to bring this condition about. It must be 

 remembered that several crops of first-class quality are to be 

 taken from the same plot of ground in the same season, and 

 to accomplish this the soil must be not only well manured but 

 it must also be mellow and friable. Plants cannot reach per- 

 fection unless all the conditions of growth are favourable, 

 and experience proves that the texture and friability of the soil 

 are of far greater importance than its character. Every particle 

 of soil contains plant food, and it should therefore be thoroughly 

 worked before planting, so that the delicate rootlets can pene- 

 trate it in all directions. 



Manure for making hot-beds should be brought into the 

 garden at convenient times from the end of September until 

 the beds are started. The Paris gardeners accumulate it all 

 through the summer, bringing it in load by load on the return 

 journey from market. It is stacked in long, narrow, high 



