482 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ June 14,1888 
the cause of the Fund. Altogether the Fete was novel in 
character; so interesting, so brilliant, and so successful, that many 
have expressed a wish that it may become an annual event. 
DIGGING AND STIRRING THE SOIL. 
The due performance of these well-known cultural operations 
demands no great mental capacity, yet they require a certain 
amount of knowledge and the exercise of judgment. Digging is 
not learned all at once, neither is hoeing, but “ practice makes per¬ 
fect,” and that is the reason why tbe gardener’s apprentice serves 
the kitchen, weeds, learns to hoe and rake, and takes a turn at dig¬ 
ging and trenching, which gives him an idea of the requirements 
of an establishment and the means by which they are met. 
Initiation into work of this description is of primary importance, 
and instead of being derogatory to the gardener it is of great value, 
in fact, indispensable. 
Digging. —According to the dictionaries—viz.. Johnson's—th’s is 
“ a loosening of the soil so as to render it more fit for the reception 
of seeds or plants,” and the Imperial Lexicon defines it as “opening 
or turning the earth with a spade.” Some soils can be worked very 
well with a spade, particularly w'hen the intention is not to stir them 
deeper than the ameliorated surface. But everything depends on 
circumstances. If the soil will admit of a couple or more spade- 
depths being readily turned then I make no objection, but there 
are few soils except alluvial that will admit of such easy manipula¬ 
tion, most requiring if they are to produce full crops in continuity 
to have something more than a mere turning or loosening of the 
ameliorated surface soil. Turning the surface 4 to 6 inches deep 
with the plough, and 10 to 12 inches with the spade, gives rise to 
the difference in the resultant crops. Subsoil ploughing and trench¬ 
ing are still further characterised by values of produce in a ratio to 
the depth of soil available as a source of aliment. Soils differ very 
much in depth. All have a certain amount of ameliorated soil re¬ 
sulting of the disintegrating action of the atmosphere, rain, and 
the product of prior or existent vegetable and animal life, the com¬ 
bination effecting changes of a character essentid to a continuous 
course of vegetation through the constant assimilation of nutriment 
in the soil. It is not enough to get a good result by ploughing 
when a better can be obtained by subsoiling, and if Ave can increase 
the products of the soil by trenching there is absolute necessity for 
its displacing digging. I am no great advocate, however, of sub¬ 
soiling or of trenching, particularly under all circumstances, but the 
best results, so far as I have had opportunity of observing, have 
been on soils that admit of their performance. They, however, are 
not available for all soils or for all cultivators. Some soils have 
only a few inches depth of good soil over a subsoil of sand, gravel, 
or ebay, or an admixture that is not of a nature favourable to a 
good tilth or to cultural operations. To put good ameliorated 
soil beneath 10 or more inches of sand, gravel, clay, or an admix¬ 
ture of stubborn material is subsoiling or trenching to the present 
injury of the crops, and is neither advisable nor justifiable in any 
sense as a cultural practice. Much in such a case may be effected 
through pulverisation, aeration, manuring, and working the soil, 
but some time must elapse ere it can be brought into a condition 
favourable to the germination of seeds or the speedy establishment 
of plants, and the increased labour entailed may render the whole 
transaction unremunerative. 
In trenching, therefore, the nature of the soil must be consi¬ 
dered. When the soil is good enough to allow of the bottom spit 
being brought to take the place of the top, and the bottom under¬ 
neath broken up if necessary by a pick and left, w'e deepen and 
improve for all time the land for garden crops. Practised in 
autumn, the surface thrown up roughly for exposure, and manure 
being added, it becomes thoroughly incorporated with the soil, or 
sufficiently so by the forking over, w’hich should follow trenching 
during the first dry weather that prevails in spring for cultural re¬ 
quirements. It is not always advisable to bring up the bottom soil 
at first, as that when of a stubborn nature is positively injurious to 
crops ; consequently the soil ought not to be trenched deeper than 
the good soil extends, that is the better for being turned top to 
bottom. The bottom soil may be loosened with a fork, or, if 
necessary, with a pick, with manifest advantage, especially if it have 
some light manure, leaf soil, or the most reduced part of the rubbish 
heap, the woody portion being charred and mixed with it. The 
change effected in course of time will improve the whole soil by 
making it deeper. Its value will appear in the current crops, 
inasmuch as the rain will pass more freely through, and it will take 
in air and nutriment which follow the passage of water, enhancing 
the assimi'ation of food in the soil by the increase of air, w’armth, 
and decomposition of matter. 
There are other considerations that favour trenching. Culti¬ 
vation has something more to effect than maintaining the soil in 
fertility. The soil may be everything as regards tilth, yet the> 
crops are not commensurate with its condition and the cultivation. 
The soil becomes rich in certain elements—decomposing matter,, 
the result of preceding crops, and manurial applications, and filled 
with fungoid, insect, and other pests. Those detriments to success¬ 
ful practice are not to be trifled with, destructive agents must be u^ed,. 
or we must bury them well down in autumn to prevent their seeing 
daylight again. Inorganic substances, such as lime, have a tendency 
to descend, and the sui face becomes a mass of organic matter, an in¬ 
termixture becoming necessary for the formation of bases and 
plant food. Lime and potash may be present, but what good ai®- 
they if beyond the reach of the roots ? 
Digging is only a primitive form of trencliing ; in fact trench¬ 
ing is often termed double-digging. Plougliing can only be charac¬ 
terised as an apology for digging, as demonstrated by observing th3 
difference in the crops obtained by the two processes. By digging 
we stir the soil double the depth of the plough ; the soil is more 
broken and intermingled ; it is left more accessible to the atmo¬ 
sphere. But there is an advantage wliich dug land does not get 
in the dragging and the harrowing essential to the formation of a 
good tilth. These operations tend to loosen the soil in the spring, 
letting out water, and the warmth of the atmosphere is absorbed, 
which promote early growth, whilst the pulverisation forms a 
surface through which rain will pass freely, and also prevent 
subsequent evaporation. Autumn digging is all-important for 
pulverisation and the mixing in of manures. In such cases the 
surface should be left rough, for if left smooth and even it 
will, by the action of frost, have a surface of fine soil, and will 
not be nearly so warm, because there is more water in it than that 
which has been left through the winter in a rough state and 
turned over in early spring with a fork. This I have proof of in 
some land, part of which was dug in autumn level, and part by 
press of work had to stand over until early spring and was then 
dug even. Both were planted with Snowflake Potatoes in April, 
and now (June 2nd) those on the early winter dug part are 3 inches 
high, whilst those on spring dug are 6 inches high. The evapo¬ 
ration w'as greatest from the spring dug part because it was more 
open, and it consequently parted with water and took in air pro¬ 
portionately, and was more quickly warmed by the sun. This 
would infer that I advocate spring digging in preference to autumn 
or early winter ; but, on the contrary, I advise, for all but very 
light soil, autumn digging, not breaking the soil with the spade, but 
throwing it up roughly. By that means there is a quantity of 
aerated and pulverised soil, and by turning it under we bring other 
less pulverised soil to the surface, which, if done early in spring, is 
sufficiently pulverised by the spring frosts to double the depth of 
the fine soil, forming a good tilth, and this is not only a good 
rooting medium, but admits of the free passage of rain, and is the 
best of all means of retaining the moisture for the benefit of the 
crops through the growing season, not being liable to crack, and 
admitting of expeditious cleanly culture. 
That is no doubt the best way to treat heavy soils, but light 
soils I do not consider are improved by autumn digging or 
manuring. Such are fine enough and poor enough to begin with. 
They are best left alone during the winter, or if necessity prompt 
then by all means break the soil, but do not throw it up roughly, and 
if manure is used let it be fresh or rough. The strength of the 
manure will be incorporated with the soil by spring, and the land 
will be sufficiently loose for ordinary crops without further need of 
stirring it with the spade. Medium soi’s are best thoroughly 
dug in autumn, adding the needful manure, but light soils I would 
never trouble about digging until a short time before it is neces¬ 
sary to do so for putting in the crops or for cleanly culture, for to 
turn weeds under not being of a perennial character is a source of 
fertility and far too little practised. 
Double digging is only another term for trenching, unless it be 
that the soil is only turned a spit deep, the top soil being left where 
it was but turned on the bottom spit, which is also turned and 
allowed to remain. It is a capital plan where the subsoil is poor. 
A better plan is to mix altogether as in turning a manure heap, 
keeping enough good soil on the top to secure ready tillage, and the 
best of all is to trench soils that admit of it every third or fourth 
year, and those that are not available for trenching should bo 
stirred as deeply as possible.—G. Abbey. 
(To be ontinued.) 
MY AURICULAS IN 1887. 
As I have never been much of an exhibitor, and have long 
since given it up altogether, I have the pleasure of groiving my 
small collection for my own gratification, and that of those friends 
who may kindly visit my garden. I am sorry to say that those who 
do so and can appreciate the refined beauty of the Auricula are 
