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BIGGLE GARDEN BOOK 



often produce enough for average needs. Intensive 

 culture will accomplish wonders on even a tiny plat. 



Plowing. — The time to plow depends upon cir- 

 cumstances. Early spring is the usual time, although 

 fall-plowing has advantages when the ground is 

 soddy or badly infested with wireworms, cutworms, 

 grubs, etc. How deep to plow? As deep as you can 

 without bringing up much of the subsoil. (Subsoil 

 plowing requires a separate plowing with a special 

 kind of a plow designed to loosen up the lower strata 

 without bringing it to the surface; few gardeners, 

 however, go to this extra trouble and expense, if 

 they have a deep, mellow, well-drained soil. But 

 subsoiling frequently pays. It need not be done 

 oftener than once in two years.) 



Never work soil when it is very wet and sticky ; 

 wait until it dries into crumbly, workable condition. 



Trenching and Ridging. — To trench a strip of 

 ground means to throw off the topsoil, spade up the 

 subsoil, and then replace the topsoil. It's a great 



plow, and is therefore easier in large gardens. 



Ridging land usually means to fall-plow it into 

 ridges or beds, so that depressions ("dead fur- 

 rows") occur, say, about every ten feet. Surface 



AFTER HARROWING, SMOOTH THE 

 GROUND. THIS IS ONE WAY TO DO IT 



deal of work, and not 

 always so necessary as 

 some of the old-fash- 

 ioned books taught. 

 For hard, shallow soils, 

 DV for deep-rooting 

 :rops like carrots, etc., 

 it certainly brings good 

 results. Subsoiling is the 

 same thing, practically, 

 but it's done with a 



