Practical Directions 269 



those about to form gardens not to put off the operation till 

 spring, but to take advantage of the late summer and early 

 autumn weather to get the principal part of the work done 

 and the leading outlines of everything prepared. Perhaps 

 the early autumn is better than summer for the purpose, as 

 the ground will then be kept partially softened by rain and 

 turf may be moved if required without being killed. 



5. Preparations for Planting. — In the preparation of 

 ground for planting and for grass the difference in their 

 requirements will have to be kept distinctly in mind. Plan- 

 tations can hardly have too much good soil. A thorough 

 provision of suitable and mellow earth will almost neutralize 

 the disadvantages of climate or situation and keep plants 

 always flourishing and healthy. For lawns, on the other 

 hand, a light, shallower, and poorer soil, if it be properly 

 drained and worked previously to sodding or sowing, will 

 be preferable as tending to keep down undue luxuriance, 

 and promote the growth of the finer grasses and check the 

 development of rank weeds. 



Ground that is in any degree hea\y or that has been 

 newly drained ought to be deeply worked all over, whether 

 for grass or plants. If the subsoil be clay, it can be turned 

 up loosely in the bottom; but if of a lighter material it should 

 be brought to the surface for plantations, and simply turned 

 over in the bottom of the trenches for grass. It will always 

 be undesirable to bring clay to the surface in pleasure gar- 

 dens; though, in kitchen gardens, where it can be freely 

 worked and mellowed for several years, the common mode 

 of inverting the positions of the surface soil and the subsoil 

 may be adopted. The reason for working a lighter subsoil 

 to the top in plantations and not 'for grass is that additions 

 of better earth can be made to the former, when the subsoil 

 will be blended with this in planting, while it is rather in- 



