GENERAL REMARKS. 
17 
The nearer the ground approaches to a sandy soil, the less 
retentive will it be of moisture ; the more to a clayey, the 
longer will it retain it ; and the finer the particles of which 
the clay is composed, the more tenacious will it be of water, 
and, consequently, the longer in drying, and the harder when 
dry ; but earth of a consistence that will hold water the long- 
est, without becoming hard when dry, is, of all others, the best 
adapted for raising the generality of plants in the greatest 
perfection. This last described soil is called loam, and is a 
medium earth, between the extremes of clay and sand. • 
I have, in most cases, recommended drills to be made at 
certain depths for the different kinds of seed ; and when I 
have stated that the drills should be two inches deep, it is 
intended that the seed should be covered only one inch, 
which it will be when planted in these drills, and covered ; 
and so in proportion for any other depth required. This 
may serve as a guide to the young gardener, but circum- 
stances alter cases ; if, for instance, some particular crops 
should fail, this would render it necessary, if the season be 
far advanced, to risk a farther planting of seed, even if the 
weather be hot and the ground dry. If this be planted a 
little deeper, it may escape the violent heat of the sun, and 
in the event of a shower, the ground would become suffi- 
ciently moist to bring it up ; whereas it sometimes happens 
that seed sown after a shower does not vegetate until after the 
season is too far advanced to bring the crop to perfection. 
The work of drilling by those who have no machine, may 
be performed in various ways ; in some cases a plough is 
used, in others a small hoe, or a dibble drawn along the edge 
of a board or line ; it is of little consequence which way the 
work is done, if it be well done. While I leave the gardener 
to make his own choice of tools, I would suggest that he be 
provided with two or three drilling machines ; these, every 
handy man can make for himself; they should be in the 
form of a garden rake, with a stout, heavy back, and five 
teeth, about two inches broad, and tapered so as to enter the 
