THE HANDLING OF THE LAND 



91 



In small garden areas, this deep preparation will ordinarily 

 be done by trenching with a spade. This operation of trench- 

 ing consists in breaking up the earth two spades deep. Figure 81 

 explains the operation. The section at the left shows a single 

 spading, the earth being thrown over to the right, leaving the 

 subsoil exposed the whole width of the bed: The section at 

 the right shows a similar operation, so far as the surface spading 

 is concerned, but the subsoil has also been cut as fast as it has 

 been exposed. This under soil is not thrown out on the surface, 



and usually it is not inverted ; but a spladef ul is lifted and then 

 allowed to drop so that it is thoroughly broken and pulverized 

 in the manipulation. 



In all lands that have a hard and high subsoil, it is usually 

 essential to practice trenching if the best results are to be 

 secured; this is especially true when deep-rooted plants, as 

 beets, parsnips, and other root-crops, are to be grown; it pre- 

 pares the soil to hold moisture; and it allows the water of heavy 

 rainfall to pass to greater depths rather than to be held as 

 puddles and in mud on the surface. 



In places that can be entered with a team, deep and heavy 

 plowing to the depth of seven to ten inches may be desirable 

 on hard lands, especially if such lands cannot be plowed very 



82. Home-made subsoil plow. 



