1G2 
DIGGING, TRENCHING, ETC. 
from m is in readiness for filling up, that from 
the bottom being of course placed at bottom, 
and the upper or good soil above it. In order 
that this may proceed regularly, and that the 
surface may present its proper level through- 
out, it is necessary that the slips a b, c d, e f, 
g h, be of equal width throughout ; the cross 
trenches also, on. n, o, &c. &c. must, for the 
same reason, be kept accurately to the same 
width throughout. The lines, both of the 
wide slips and cross trenches, are marked by 
measuring accurately the proper distance at 
each end with a rod; the garden line is then 
stretched quite tight, from one of the points 
thus ascertained, across to the other, and then 
a slit or notch is made three or four inches 
deep by the spade, close to and parallel with 
the line. 
This mode of trenching is most suitable for 
land when first broken up, and for that which 
is of inferior quality. In the case of deep 
soils of good quality, it is not necessary to 
guard so carefully against bringing the lower 
soil to the top ; but even in this case, it is best 
to bring it up gradually. Thus, supposing it 
to be trenched three spades in depth, the 
second (y) may be brought to the top, and the 
first or top (x) put in its place ; the third (z) 
being merely turned over, but kept below the 
other two, and the base beneath the third 
broken up and left. Then at the second 
trenching, the third or z may take the second 
place, x being returned to the top, and y placed 
at the bottom. At the third trenching, z may 
come to the top, and x the original top may 
go to the bottom, y also occupying its original 
position between the other two. In this way 
the surface is each time thoroughly changed, 
without in either case bringing crude soil to 
the surface. 
As regards the depth to which it is desirable 
to trench, a few words may suffice. In break- 
ing up fresh land for a garden, a depth of about 
three feet will be proper. This will be four 
spades deep, supposing the spade-depth to 
average nine inches in working, which is near 
what it does. Three spades-deep should be 
turned over, according to the principles already 
laid down ; the fourth may be broken up and 
left in the bottom. In trenching land which 
is regularly brought under cropping, it is not 
necessary to trench so deep as this every year; 
about every second year will suffice, in the 
intermediate year the ground being broken up 
three spades deep. It will also be proper, in 
trenching ground in such circumstances, to 
apportion the depth of the operation to suit 
the particular crops which are to be next 
planted. For growing vegetables, there should 
be from two-and-a-half to three feet of good 
workable soil, and the oftener this is turned 
over by trenching, consistent with other fea- 
tures of management, the better. For flowers, 
an average depth of two feet will be sufficient ; 
and where circumstances admit, it should be 
remembered that these are as much benefited 
by the trenching and proper management of 
the soil, as are vegetables. 
Whenever the operation of trenching is 
going on, care should be taken to remove the 
roots of all perennial weeds ; these should be 
carefully picked out, and removed entirely 
from the ground, and are most suitably con- 
veyed at once to the rubbish heap. The roots 
of most kinds of perennial weeds, if left in the 
soil, spring up and prove very troublesome 
during the growth of the crops. If manure is 
to be added, it should by no means be thrown 
entirely into the trench, as is often done ; 
neither should it be placed in a layer between 
any part of the soil, but should be well inter- 
mixed with that part of the upper soil just 
below the surface, and downwards as far as 
may be proper for the particular crop to be 
planted. To facilitate this mixture, and also 
the mixture of the particles of soil, the finished 
portion should present a sloping surface towards 
the work, against which the soil and manure 
may be cast as the work proceeds, instead of 
being placed in horizontal layers. When any 
coarse vegetable refuse is trenched in, it must 
be buried sufficiently near the bottom of the 
trench to be out of the way of planting. In 
order to do these things effectually, as well as 
to preserve the proper level of the surface, the 
trench must be kept open and of equal capa- 
city throughout the progress of the work. 
As in the case of digging, the surface of 
trenched ground is sometimes laid in ridges 
instead of being placed flat, and this is called 
ridge-trenching. Its advantages are the same 
as those of ridge-digging. Another kind of 
trenching, called bastard-trenching, consists 
in turning over the upper spadeful, the second 
being broken up and left in the bottom of the 
trench. It is a common practice to trench two 
spades deep ; but it is much better, in all cases, 
to break up the ground at least three spades 
deep, where the operation is required at all. 
As already remarked, these operations of 
digging, forking, and trenching, are best per- 
formed in moderately dry weather. When 
the weather is wet, and also when the surface 
is wet from recent rains, or during a thaw 
after frost, nearly as much injury is caused by 
the necessary trampling on the ground, as 
would counterbalance the advantage of the 
operation. When a portion of the top soil is 
thus worked up to the consistence of mortar, 
and in this state turned in, in the process of 
digging or trenching, it can no longer be 
friable, as it should be, until the superfluous 
water has been absorbed from it, and itself 
disintegrated, either by the action of the at- 
