Feb.] the KITCHEN-GARDEN. 115 
plants, as carrots, parsneps, &c. one good spade deep may be suf-= 
ficient for cooimon trenching, unless on particular occasions, to 
trench as deep as the good soil admits, to turn the exhausted earth 
to the boitom, and the fresh to the top to renew the soil. However 
you should be careful not to trench deeper than the proper soil; and 
the trenching only one spade deep, will much more effectually 
renew the soil than plain diggin^^; and by paring the top of each 
trenching, two or three inches deep into the bottom, all seeds of 
weeds on the surface are thereby buried so deep, that they cannot 
grow; and I should likewise advise that the general digging be 
performed principally, especially in stiff ground, before the setting 
in of the winter frosts, or early m spring; but it would be better 
done if, some considerable time before the season for putting in the 
crops, that the ground might have the advantage of fallow, to melio- 
rate and enrich it; and always let the ground be trenched in rough 
ridges, that it may receive all possible benefit from the sun, air, 
rains, frost, Sec. to fertilize and pulverize the soil, before it is levelled 
down for the reception of seeds and plants; and this levelling down 
will be an additional improvement, in breaking, dividing, and melio- 
rating the earth. Plain digging, however, may be sufficient for 
fnost of the slight crops, especially in summer or autumn, after 
the ground has been trench-digged in the general winter or spring 
digging. 
As to manure — any kind of dung, or compost of dung and earth, 
is proper; and if this could be suited to the nature of the soil, it 
would be of greater advantage, that is, for ground of a strong, 
heavy, cold nature, have for manure, a compost of well-rotted dung, 
ashes, or any sandy earths; and if light sandy ground, have the 
moistest sort of dung, and heavy earths; though any kind of well- 
rotted dung will suit as proper manure for almost every soil, but 
none better than the dung of old hot-beds, which is the most com- 
mon manure in kitchen-gardens, being horse stable-dung, first 
used in hot beds, where ii becomes rotted to a soft, moist tempe- 
rament, of an extremely enriching quality, and suits almost all 
kinds of soil and plants; or some of the same quality from dung- 
hills is equally eligible; but well rotted neat's dung is also very 
good, particularly for light grounds; or a compost of different kinds, 
as horse-dung, neat's-dung, hog's-dungs, farm-yard-dung, or mulch, 
ashes, lime-rubbish broken small, sawdust, rotten tan, having all 
lain together till well rotted, will make excellent compost manure. 
The manuring, or dunging the ground, may be necessary every 
year or two; for all crops being of an exhausting nature in every 
soil, the vegetative vigour of the soils must be supported accord- 
ingly by a proper application of manure; but once every two or 
three years, at furthest, the ground in general will want amend- 
ment; though, where there is plenty of dung, give it as far as it 
will go every year, especially for the i)rincipal crops, such as onions, 
cauliflowers, cabbages, &c. for as the different crops exhaust the 
soil, the addition of dung fertilizes and renews it; which when duly 
applied in proper quantities, the various crops will not only be much 
finer, but arrive to earlier perfection than in poor starved ground. 
