34 



THE PRACTICAL GARDENER. 



CHAP, 11. 



NATURE AND MANAGEMENT OF SOILS. 



Experience has taught us that different vegetables and 

 fruits require not only different treatment in their various stages 

 of growth, but also that they stand in need of different soils to 

 bring them to any degi'ee of perfection. This has been parti- 

 ally accounted for in the rationale laid down by Sir Humphry 

 Davy on the necessity of a rotation of crops. It is, however, 

 notwithstanding that doctrine, not always necessary that a dif- 

 ferent soil should be prepared for every different production of 

 the garden, for such a practice would not only be extravagant 

 but absurd. Nature, in her infinite wisdom, has, among other 

 wise ordinations, provided that soils of different natures are, in 

 many cases, to be found in the same acre ; and, if possible, 

 they should not be wanting in the same garden. In those 

 cases, where nature has not been thus bountiful, recourse mu^ 

 be had to art. 



The varieties of soil in any garden," says Nicol, " may 

 be with propriety confined to the following : viz. strong clayey 

 loam and light sandy loam, which are the two grand objects ; 

 a composition of one-fourth strong, with three-fourths light, 

 loam ; half strong and half light ; and one-fourth light and 

 three-fourths strong. These, by a proper treatment, and 

 with the proper application of manures, may be rendered 

 productive of any of the known and commonly cultivated 

 vegetables in the highest degree of perfection." 



Soils may be improved by a variety of operations performed 

 on them, independently of their improvement by manures. 

 This is a serious consideration to all cultivators of the earth, 

 but much more so to the gardener than to the farmer ; and for 

 this important reason, that it exonerates his productions fi-om 

 the charge of being either unwholesome or ill tasted, on ac 

 count of the pabulum, or food from which they derive their sup- 

 port. Thus, vegetables grown in the open fields, where we 

 are to suppose the land less glutted with manures, is by the 



