12 VEGECULTURE 



But where expense is a consideration, other effective systems 

 can be introduced in a way of a toose layer of broken bricks, 

 stones, crockery, clinkers, or similar material, placed on the 

 same principle as the pipes under the surface soil. There 

 may be one or more of these drainage lines, as circumstances 

 may dictate ; but if the garden paths are well drained, in many 

 instances there will be little necessity for a drain running under 

 the garden soil. Considering the fact that soil-drains often 

 become choked especially open drains made with loose rubbish 

 it is as well to cause each pathway to become a deep, effective 

 drainage system an underground watercourse, in fact well 

 guarded from danger of sinking or filling up, and the hard surface 

 of the path made up on top of the drain. A narrow, deep gulley 

 may also be excavated on each side of the pathway next to the 

 garden soil, in which the pipes or broken rubbish may be laid ; 

 then, if the path be formed in arch fashion from side to side, 

 water will run off and soak into these gullies, thus draining the 

 pathway as well as the garden soil. An obstinate piece of 

 waterlogged ground may be effectively drained by excavating 

 the soil at the lowest spot to a considerable depth and placing 

 at the bottom large branches of trees, prunings, or other woody 

 rubbish, the earth being returned on top of the branches ; indeed, 

 a path may be thus efficiently drained by placing such materials 

 in a deep trench dug in the border next the pathway on one or 

 both sides of the latter. 



The object of digging is to loosen the soil so as to render it 

 more fit for the reception of seeds and plants, and the work 



may be performed by either the spade or fork. The 

 Digging operation is as follows : The digging-tool is thrust 



into the ground, and driven down as far as it will 

 go by pressure of the foot. The workman begins at one end 

 of the piece of ground, and opens a trench quite across it, at 

 least a foot wide and deep, or more, carrying the earth to the 

 end of the plot where he intends to finish. So far as depth 

 and width are concerned, shallow soils resting on chalk, gravel, 

 sand, etc., should not be dug deeper than half a foot ; clay 

 soils do not often admit of digging to a depth of more than a 

 foot ; whilst upon other soils no limit is placed. The trench is 

 then filled up again by digging out the next foot-wide-and-deep 

 piece of ground. Every spadeful of soil must be reversed when 

 replaced ; and the open trench must be preserved, as the 

 digging continues, between the dug and undug ground. As the 

 work proceeds, all large clods should be broken, especially 



