24 PRESENT-DAY GARDENING 



necessary, to provide mulchings of good manure, while 

 water and liquid manure will certainly have to be afforded 

 according to the state of the weather and soil. All this 

 may sound a little formidable, but as a matter of fact it 

 is perfectly easy if a proper start is made and good manage- 

 ment is practised at all stages. 



SOIL PREPARATION 



Emphasis has already been laid upon the paramount 

 importance of working the soil. It is not only possible, but 

 easy, to grow good Sweet Peas without the addition of any 

 manure to the soil, provided that a fresh position be chosen 

 each season and that the site was generously manured 

 for the preceding crop. In such cases the ground will 

 contain a quantity of nutrient matter which mechanical 

 working will render available to the plants. On the con- 

 trary, injudicious manuring would not, in the absence of 

 soil working, bring about good results. Thus it is seen 

 that soil working stands first in importance. Three methods 

 are open for adoption according to circumstances (i) dig- 

 ging ; (2) bastard, false, or mock trenching ; and (3) full 

 or true trenching. It may be said here that the third 

 system should never be attempted unless the cultivator 

 is absolutely certain that the subsoil, which will in this 

 case be brought up to form the surface soil, is perfectly 



