I.] THE AMERICAN GARDENER. 17 



do still more. See Asparagus in Chapter IV. 



25. It must be observed, however, that, though 

 the soil be good in its nature down to two feet 

 deep, that which comes to the top in the first mode 

 of trenching, will not be, immediately^ so good for 

 use, as the soil which has been at top for ages. It 

 is, in such a case, of great advantage to place the 

 old top soil at the bottom ; because when roots find 

 the soil good to such a depth, the plants and trees 

 thrive and bear surprizingly. But, then, the new 

 top soil must be exceedingly well worked and well 

 and judiciously manured, in order to make it equal 

 to the old top soil : which object is, however, very 

 soon accomplished, if the proper means be made 

 use of 



26. The ground being trenched, in October, ought 

 to be well manured at top with good well-rotted 

 dung, or with soap-boiler^s ashes, or some other 

 good manure ; and this might be ploughed, or dug 

 in shallowly. Before the frost is gone in the spring, 

 another good coat of manure should be put on ; 

 well-rotted manure from the yard ; ashes ; or, ra^ 

 ther, if ready, from a good, compost. Then, when 

 the frost is gone, the ground will be instantly fit for 

 digging and planting ; and, it wdll bear almost any 

 thing that can be put into it. 



27. Thus w^ill the ground he prepared ; and here 

 I close my directions with regard to the nature and 

 preparation of the soil. But, it seems necessary to 

 add a few words on the subject of manures as 

 adapted to a garden. It is generally thought, and, 

 I believe, truly, that dung, of any sort, is not what 

 ought to be used in the raising of garden vegetables. 

 It is very certain, that they are coarse and gross 

 when produced with aid of that sort of manure, 

 compared to what they are when raised with the aid 



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