508 



TRANSACTIONS OF THE 



In the plot of ground represented by fig. 1, dig out the earth two 

 spits or spades deep from t and a, and carry it over to the right 

 side of the plot; next take out the depth and width of the spade 

 from h and jout it in the jDlace before occupied by o; then take up 

 another spit from c and place it in t^ over fc, in the new j^osition. 

 Continue the process in the same manner, putting d in place of c, 

 e in place of &,/in e, g in d^ kc. The last trench on the right 

 side can be filled with the soil carried over from t and a. 



Eastard trenching consists in stirring the soil two or more spits 

 deep, without sinking the surface soil, and is performed as fol- 

 lows : Take out of the plot f and set it aside to the right, as be- 

 fore described; then loosen the soil in a without removing it; 

 next set 6 over upon a and loosen up c. Continue the process in 

 the same manner, putting d over c, loosening e, placing /upon it, 

 and so on across the plot. 



During the spading process, whether by the first or second 

 method, manure may and should be worked into both the surface 

 and sub-soil. It is always advisable in bastard trenching to bury 

 as deeply as possible a little of the surface soil, including weeds &c. 



Few soils, not before worked deeply, are in proper condition 

 to admit of true trenching at first, since the sub-soil in a, c, and 

 e is not so well fitted for plants as the air exposed surface soil. 

 On this account he advised to practice bastard trenching first for 

 a year or two, or else to make the trenches a, c, and e only one- 

 fourth or one -half a spit deep the first year, so as not to bring up 

 too much of the raw soil at a time. 



Trenching three spits or spades deep, is performed as fol- 

 lows : 



Fig. 2. 



For true trenching, three spits deep, dig out t, u, and a, and 

 carry them to the right as above; then put v in place of a, h in 

 place of u, c in place of t, and so on, moving d to c, c to b,f to 

 V, &c. 



For bastard trenching, three spits deep carry away t, u, and v; 

 then loosen a, working manure into it if need be; this done set b 



