THE CULINARY GARDEN. 



35 



majority of people preferred to those, which are grown in highly 

 manured gardens. Hence the necessity is obvious, of im- 

 proving the soil by other operations than that of yearly gorging 

 it with more manure, than is actually necessary for bringing to 

 perfection such vegetables, as are expected to be produced. 



The first and principal effort towards the improvement of 

 soils is to be performed by the operation of pulverization, 

 which is effected by trenching, digging, and ridging; the 

 main object of which is, to give scope for the roots of vege- 

 tables to penetrate in every direction to which they may be 

 disposed in search of nourishment, as well as to prevent the 

 free circulation of both air and water from being impeded. 

 The mechanical division of the parts of soils is an improve- 

 ment, and applicable to every soil according to its adhesive 

 texture. The lightest soil will become, in course of time, if 

 left undisturbed, too compact for the proper admission of air, 

 rain, and heat, as well as for the fi-ee growth of the fibrous 

 roots of plants ; and, on the other hand, strong lands will, in 

 a much shorter time, become quite impenetrable to the roots 

 of vegetables, the strong taproot of the oak, and some others 

 only excepted. Without an abundance of roots, no vegetable 

 flourishes, therefore we ought to adapt the soil, as much as 

 possible, to the encouragement of those necessary organs, 

 the conviction being strongly impressed on our minds, that 

 the quantity of nourishment which is taken up, depends more 

 on the number of absorbing fibres, than the quantity of nutri- 

 tious extract contained in the soil. The rendering the soil of 

 a proper consistency, by trenching or digging, is not only ne- 

 cessary before sowing or planting, but also during the progress 

 of vegetation, and this should be performed by digging or hoe- 

 ing between the rows, or round the stems of plants. A strong 

 proof is here adduced of the superiority of planting or sowing 

 culinary vegetables in drills, as, by that means, the operation of 

 pulverization is better and more conveniently performed. Even 

 digging between the rows of some plants is of much importance 

 to them, as by that means, it operates on the principle of 

 pruning, by cutting off or shortening the extending fibres, 

 which causes them to throw out a number of others, by which 

 the mouths or pores of the plants are considerably increased ; 



