chap. I.] STIRRING THE SOIL. 19 
small scale may be useful in a flower garden, 
when the soil is much infested with insects, 
or where there are many weeds. It is per¬ 
formed by opening a trench, and throwing 
up the earth out of it in the form of a ridge; 
and then opening another trench, and form¬ 
ing another ridge in the same manner. The 
whole garden is thus thrown into a series of 
ridges and trenches, which should be suffered 
to remain all the winter, and be levelled in 
spring. It is obvious that this mode of ame¬ 
liorating the soil can only be practised where 
the garden is not likely to be visited during 
winter, as it destroys all beauty, and has a 
peculiarly desolate and forlorn appearance. 
It is indeed a remedy only to be resorted 
to in extreme cases, but fortunately there are 
very few flower gardens in which the soil 
is in so bad a state as to require it. 
The other kinds of digging, are to form pits 
for receiving plants, or for filling with choice 
soil, and to remove plants. In the first case, 
a hole of sufficient size to receive the plant is 
dug, and the earth thrown up beside it, to be 
filled in round the roots of the plant; and in 
the second case, the common garden earth 
c 2 
