SOILS AND THEIR PREPARATION 91 



approaching adequate use of the soil which they cultivate. 

 The majority of amateur gardeners, and not a few pro- 

 fessional ones, never get their spade more than a foot 

 or, at the outside, more than eighteen inches below the 

 surface. As a matter of fact, all garden soil should be 

 dug to a minimum depth of two feet, or preferably to 

 a depth of three feet when possible. In preparing a 



A L G M K I 3 



piece of ground for planting, it should, therefore, be 

 trenched as deeply as possible, preferably to a depth 

 of three feet. 



This operation may be performed as follows : — 

 Let A B C D represent the piece of ground to be 

 trenched. Measure off A E,EG,GM,D F, FH, ^nANH, 

 each the distance of one foot. Stretch a line from E to F 

 and notch the surface with a spade along this line. Pro- 

 ceed in the same way from G to H, Next dig the piece 



