THE SOIL 49 



over this another i foot of soil and scatter an ounce of bone 

 meal to each one yard run of trench. 



If this can be allowed to settle for a week or ten days, 

 so much the better, but this is not essential. The trench 

 should be firmed, however, before sowing the seed, (if sow- 

 ing is done,) or before planting, if plants are set out. 



The worst of the trench system, especially out of doors, 

 is that in dry weather, no matter how much one may water 

 the trenches, there are sure to be chinks or seams between 

 the part that is trenched and the soil that was not so well 

 treated, or in rainy weather the trench becomes a fine ditch 

 for all the surplus water. It is certainly by far the best 

 plan to dig or trench the ground all a uniform depth. The 

 same applies under glass, but there, of course, the cultivator 

 has matters under his control so that the difficulties as to 

 water logging do not present themselves in quite the same 

 degree. 



A good point to bear in mind, above all, is that it is 

 useless to attempt to grow marketable Peas in poor soil, 

 shallow soil, heavy, soggy soil, badly drained soil, or on 

 thin, hot soils. The soil must be well drained, deep, mois- 

 ture holding, yet permeable to the long roots of the plants. 

 The Sweet Pea will go an immense depth in search of mois- 

 ture. The writer has planted Peas from pots, whose roots 

 were fully 2 ft. long at the time of planting, and as the soil 

 was of untold depth, of a rich, almost peaty, brown, fibrous 

 silt — the acme of perfection for these plants — just how 

 far they descended would be difficult to say. Plants in 

 such soil will produce leaves " like Cabbages " or, co be 

 more definite, the leaves will be as large as the palm of one's 

 hand and thick, leathery, and green, while the flowers will 

 be of that splendid type that is upheld on 18-in. stems, 

 four blooms to a spray, beautifully waved, or frilled, and 



