I.] THE AMERICAN GARDENER. 15 



feet; and Mr. Tull proved, that they extended to 

 six feet, though he could not see them to that ex- 

 tent with his naked eye. But, though the roots 

 should not extend nearly to the bottom of the moved 

 ground, the plants are affected by the unmoved 

 ground being near at hand. If this were not the 

 case, plants with very short roots might be culti- 

 vated on a brick pavement with earth laid upon it 

 to the thickness of a foot ; and yet, no plant will 

 live and thrive in such a state, while it will do very 

 well in ground along side the pavement, though 

 moved only a foot deep. Plants require a commu- 

 nication with, and an assistance from, beneath as 

 well as from above, in order to give them vigour 

 and fecundity. Plants will live, and will grow to a 

 certain extent in earthen pots, or in boxes made of 

 wood ; but, there must be holes in the hottom of 

 both, or the plants will die. See paragraphs 108 

 and 109. 



22. It is, therefore, of the greatest importance, 

 that the ground be moved to a good depth, and, he 

 who is about to make a garden should remember, 

 that he is about to do that, the effects of which are 

 to be felt /or ages. There is, however, one objec- 

 tion to trenching in certain cases. The soil may 

 not only not be good to the depth of two feet, but 

 it may be bad long before you come to that depth , 

 and, in this case, the trenching, in putting the good 

 soil at bottom, might bring a hungry sand, or even 

 a gravel or clay to the top, which must not be done 

 by any means ; for, even in the case of trees, they 

 Avould perish, or become stunted, because their 

 roots would not find their way from the bad soil to 

 the good. In such cases the top soil must, in the 

 trenching, be kept at the top ; and, in order to effect 

 this, your mode of proceeding, in the trenching, 



