GARDENING BY MYSELF. 43 



moderate spadefuls, but going down as 

 deep as you can ; and turn each spadeful of 

 earth quite upside down into the empty 

 furrow. Go regularly on in this way, till 

 the whole bed is finished, being careful to 

 break and mix the earth well as you go, 

 and also to pick out any large stones. Com- 

 mon weeds and rubbish may be buried at 

 the bottom of your furrows ; but pull out 

 all the sorrel, root and branch. TJiat will 

 grow, sideways and endways and all ways ; 

 and from almost a foot deep. 



If the bed is small, you need not begin to 

 rake till it is all dug ; but in a large bed, 

 the best way is to rake from time to time, as 

 soon as you have ready a strip of two or 

 three feet wide. Hold the handle of the 

 rake high, and use it lightly ; breaking 

 lumps and bringing all the surface to a fine 

 crumbly state"; Let the centre of the bed 

 be a little higher than the sides (more or 

 less, according to your soil) and be careful 

 to leave no small hills and valleys as you 

 go. If the ground needs manure, that must 



