Intensive Culture on Allotments. Ill 



air immediately above it) is several degrees warmer than similar 

 adjoining land which is undrained. When the land needs 

 draining, pipes should, if possible, be used, but if money is 

 scarce fairly efficient drainage can be secured, providing there 

 is a good fall for the water, by using plenty of rough stones 

 instead ; even brushwood or twisted straw if laid in the trench 

 with the same care with which pipes would be placed will act 

 almost as well for a number of years. 



The soil must be made mellow and friable ; if it is light 

 this condition can be brought about by the addition of plenty 

 of decayed vegetable matter and a little chalk ; if heavy, add 

 lime, road scrapings, sifted coal ashes, or charred rubbish. 



Richness of soil of course implies manure, but then manure 

 has to be given in any case if crops worthy of the name are 

 to be regularly obtained ; there may be a little additional expense 

 at the outset for a few extra loads of manure but this is soon 

 amply repaid by the heavier crops, and when once the soil is 

 brought into a good rich condition it is easily kept so. With 

 a little trouble and forethought there would be always on 

 hand a compost heap, made up of garden refuse, annual weeds, 

 leaves of trees, road scrapings, mud, poultry manure, house 

 slops, and such like. A heap of this material, if turned occa- 

 sionally with a good sprinkling of lime added at each turning, 

 would, after one season for rotting down, be found a very 

 valuable fertilizer, the use of which would greatly reduce the 

 manure bill. 



Abundant moisture, providing the soil is well drained and in 

 good heart, is most essential for the production of heavy crops, 

 and a special effort should therefore be made to supply it. 

 There are few places where water cannot be obtained by taking 

 a little trouble ; with a yoke and two pails or a paraffin cask 

 fixed on wheels a surprising lot of watering could be got 

 through in a few hours, if the source is near by. When water 

 is given the soil should be thoroughly soaked driblets are 

 useless. But it is only when there is close intercropping and 

 for a few special crops that much additional water need be 

 given. The moisture which is already in the ground should be 

 retained there for the use of the growing crops, instead of 

 being allowed it to evaporate into the atmosphere, and this 



