GROUND OPERATIONS. 



273 



spadeful from either side. The ground may be 

 either finished off in a series of sharp ridges and 

 deep furrows, or both may be rounded. Either form 

 answers well — the pointed finish being best for wet, 

 and the more roimd form for less moist climates and 

 localities. 



To derive the full benefit from ridging up, the 

 base of the ridge of whatever form should first be 

 dug, and a spadeful from one or both sides placed 

 on the top of it, the entire area of the surface 

 being thus inverted and disturbed. A very simple 

 plan of ridging consists in digging just as in the 

 ordinary way, with the exception that one spadeful 

 may be inverted in the place it was lifted out of, 

 and a second one placed on the top of it. By 

 repeating this process all over the ground, a series of 

 bill s and holes, or of small ridges and furrows, will 

 be found that shall expose a maximum amount of 

 surface to sun and air at the smallest possible ex- 

 penditure of time and labour. When the ground 

 is wanted for cropping, it is simply pointed back in 

 the opposite direction, thus filling up the space left 

 where the ridging up left off. 



There is yet another way of ridging up which 

 leaves ridges of better form and equal size at equal 

 distances, say of two feet or thirty inches in width. 

 In such case the bottom of the furrows wiU be the 

 same distances as the crest of the ridges. Hence, 

 after mellowing all winter, potatoes may be planted 

 in the bottom of the ridges, well dunged either under 

 or over them (it really matters little which), and the 

 ridge, with all its finely-mellowed sides, is split down 

 the middle with the spade, and one-half allotted to 

 either side, and the planting is finished, with a 

 better prospect of success than by any other tnown 

 method. This ridging of the earth for the sake of 

 its enrichment and amelioration merges into and 

 becomes a very important part of cropping. 



The Torking up and over of the Soil. — 



When steel forks — at once light, bright, and sharp — 

 were introduced, it was thought by not a few that 

 the range of the spade would be from thenceforth 

 greatly limited, if its days were not absolutely 

 numbered. Nothing of the kind has happened, 

 however. Fork-culture has been added to rather 

 than become a substitute for that of the spade. The 

 need of deeper, higher cultivation for the earth 

 arose almost simultaneously with the general in- 

 troduction of digging-forks. Hence there is room 

 and work enough in most gardens for all and more 

 than both can do. There are, however, some pur- 

 poses, such as the cleaning of foul land, the rapid 

 stirring, loosening, and intermixing of the soU, its 

 preparation for catch and intermediate crops, for 

 which the fork excels the spade. 

 18 



Other tools, such as hand-ploughs and harr(:fwg, 

 scarifiers, and other implements, have been strongly 

 recommended for garden purposes. To any about 

 to use these, our advice would be, Don't. Stick to 

 the spade and the fork, with an occasional help 

 from the pick, mattock, or crow-bar, and these will 

 be found sufficient for all horticultural operations on 

 the ground. " 



A hand-roller, for the consolidation and smoothing 

 of the substance and surface of most garden soils, 

 may be said to be almost essential to success. Tread- 

 ing with the foot is the most usual mode of con- 

 solidating loose soils, but a small iron hand-roller 

 proves a useful supplement to these primiti%'e com- 

 pressors, and while indispensable on gravel and grass 

 lawns, is hardly of less use as a clod-breaker than in 

 making a hard bed for onions and other crops. 



GEEBlSr-HOUSE PLANTS. 



By "William Hugh Gower. 



Azalea. — A genus of highly ornamental plants ; 

 indeed, so popular is the flower that many nurserj-- 

 men devote their whole establishment to the hybrid- 

 ising and cross-breeding of this genus alone; the 

 result is that many hundreds of kinds are in cultiva- 

 tion. Azaleas are plants very easily managed, so that 

 every one who possesses a small green-hcsuse may 

 venture upon theiir cultivation with every prospect 

 of success, whilst those with more extensive accom- 

 modation can insure a succession of their beautiful 

 flowers from Christmas to May and June. 



To maintain such a display, however, a goodly 

 number of plants would be required. It should also 

 be borne in mind that when in flower these plants 

 will stand unharmed in drawing-room or boudoir for 

 a long time, and therefore it will be necessary to 

 have a selection of sizes, as well as variety, in order 

 to produce a suitable efEect in the house ; when the 

 plants used are of proper size, an Azalea in flower 

 may be used in any place. 



Azaleas stand in the first rank as exhibition plants. 

 They are also invaluable for cutting for bouquet- 

 making, room-decoration, or wreath-making, and as 

 the variety of colours is so great every one can have 

 his taste gratified. To, those who cut their flowers 

 with long stems, these plants especially recommend 

 themselves, as they bear this with great impunity ; 

 in fact, the amount of cutting which Azaleas bear 

 would quite destroy many plants. After flower- 

 ing is past, the plants should be examined. If it is 

 desirable to re-pot into a larger pot, this is the best 

 time to do it. With many plants this is necessary 

 annually, but Azaleas may be kept in the same-sized 



