CHAP. I.] STIRRING THE SOIL. 
13 
ger of taking cold by standing on the damp 
earth* but because the soil* when damp* ad¬ 
heres to the spade* and is much more diffi¬ 
cult to work (as the gardeners call it*) than 
when it is dry. The ground in fields* &c. 
becomes very hard in dry weather; but this 
is never the case in a garden* the soil of 
which is well pulverized by the constant dig¬ 
ging* forking, hoeing and raking it must 
undergo* to keep the garden tolerably neat. 
Every lady should be careful* when she has 
finished digging* to have her spade dipped 
in water* and then wiped dry; after which 
it should be hung up in some warm dry shed* 
or harness room* to keep it free from rust; 
as nothing lessens the labour of digging more 
than having a perfectly smooth and polished 
spade. Should the earth adhere to the spade 
while digging, dipping the blade in water 
occasionally* will be found to facilitate the 
operation. 
The purposes for which digging is applied 
in gardening are: simple digging for loosen¬ 
ing the soil in order to prepare it for a crop; 
pointing; burying manure; exposing the soil 
to the action of the weather; trenching; 
