24 



GARDENING FOR THE SOUTH. 



trench, and the next spadeful upon that, until opened to 

 the same depth as the ^rst one. When the plot is entirely 

 trenched in this way, the last trench will remain open, 

 which must be filled with the earth thrown out from the 

 first one, which finishes the work. If the subsoil is poor 

 and gravelly, it is better to take off the top spadeful, and 

 loosen up the bottom to the required depth, with a pick, 

 without bringing it to the surface. If the soil requires it, 

 as it generally v/ill, layers of manure may be added to 

 those of earth, alternately. If the soil is too sandy, clay 

 and other amendments must be added ; while if too heavy, 

 woods-earth, leaves, muck, straw, tan-bark, or any other 

 vegetable refuse can be alternated, putting the coarsest 

 materials at the bottom. Tan-bark, particularly, should 

 be buried at least six inches below the surface, unless the 

 ground is to be cropped with strawberries or Irish potatoes, 

 to which it is advantageous. 



Trenching is an expensive operation, costing some thirty 

 or forty dollars per acre, but " nothing," says Mr. Barry, 

 " is so expensive and troublesome, as an ill-prepared soil." 

 This process is found to be of great advantage in England, 

 where there is no lack of moisture, and still more so by the 

 market gardeners of the Northern States, while in our own 

 dry, warm climate, it is, as I know by trial, absolutely indis- 

 pensable. G-round thus prepared is not so liable to wash 

 away, as it will readily soak up the heaviest rain, if properly 

 terraced. There is no point of greater importance than this. 

 Poor ground deeply moved, is better than rich with shallow 

 tillage, and when the ground has been prepared once in this 

 anner, it will feel the benefit forever after. Increasing 

 the depth of the soil in this mode, is to all intents and J)ur- 

 poses increasing the size of your garden ; for one-fourth 

 of an acre thus prepared, will yield in a dry season, as 

 much as an acre will, with shallow tillage ; and the growth 



