376 



GARDENING FOR BEGINNERS 



It cannot be too clearly understood, that soil which is at all 

 waterlogged or retains water unduly never can be sweet or 

 fertile. It may produce coarse weeds freely, but never good 

 garden crops. Wherever water is retained air is excluded, 

 and mineral or other plant foods or crop manures are washed 



away and destroyed. Thus whilst 

 the majority of soils may need 

 no special drainage, porous pipe 

 drains, laid in from 2 feet to 3 

 feet deep into the ground at from 

 25 feet to 30 feet apart, leading 

 to some ditch or stream for out- 

 fall, serve a valuable purpose. 

 When these pipe drains are laid 

 down in narrow excavations, 

 some woody material heather, 

 gorse, or hedge trimmings 

 should be laid over them before 

 the soil is filled in. This will 

 prevent the drains from becom- 

 ing clogged. Where pipes are 



FIG. 21. Deep or Pipe Drain. 



not used, rough rubble of any description will suffice if some 

 6 inches to 8 inches thick. Still this is work that is needed 

 only when water gives much trouble in gardens. When soil 

 suffers only from exceptional floodings through being near 

 to streams or from very heavy storms, it is well to keep open, 

 on the surface, drains 12 inches wide and 10 inches deep, as 

 these greatly facilitate the re- 

 moval of the water. But all ex- 

 perience goes to prove that 



Trenching ground from 20 

 inches to 30 inches deep, ac- 

 cording to conditions, is produc- 

 tive of immense good, even in 

 relation to drainage. It fre- 

 quently happens that just be- 

 neath the top twelve inches of 

 soil there is a hard pan of some 

 almost impervious material, 



which has never been broken up. This, if of stone or rock, 

 is best removed absolutely, but if it be of any softer material, 

 such as can be broken well, it is best in the process of trenching 

 to break it up thoroughly, some 10 inches to 12 inches deep, 

 and leave it lying where found before the upper porous soil 

 is replaced. Such impervious subsoils in time become loose, 



FIG. 22. Shallow Rubble Drain. 



