4 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER 
April 7. 
a fruit or kitchen garden so well adapted for the pur¬ 
pose as to require no more at the outset than that 
suggested in the last paper, which simply supposed a 
j case of ordinary land which had been under the plough 
! or spade. Sometimes, and more fortunately still, the 
1 orchardist may take to a plot of old grass land, and this, 
i indeed, above all others, is a piece of luck much to he 
| desired, provided the operator knows what to do with 
it. I will, therefore, offer a little advice on this head, 
irrespective of the texture of the soil and subsoil, for 
these will form a subsequent consideration. 
Whether the plot be enclosed, or an ordinary orchard, 
the turf is of the utmost value for the fruit trees ; not 
merely for fancy or tender kinds, hut for ordinary sorts. 
It will retain its organic matter, or fibre, so long as to 
preclude the necessity of any serious amount of root- 
culture for mauy years. It will enable the trees to 
endure extremes of weather; and it may be added, that 
trees in turfy composts will not prove so liable to blights 
as in ordinary soils. Under such circumstances, then, 
the first business is to pare off the turfy material, and 
to stack or ridge it in convenient situations, remembering 
that a portion of it will be required to form the stations 
for fruit trees, of which more in the proper place. In 
some cases, it may prove convenient to pile a quantity 
in the centre of the garden or orchard, or close to two 
of its opposite sides, so that when required it may be 
near at hand. This turfy material must be piled in a 
sharp ridge to exclude the rains, and should, if possible, 
be removed in a medium state as to moisture. Septem¬ 
ber is a very eligible month for this process; and the 
thickness to which it may be pared must depend on 
the depth of the good soil: if the latter is not lmlf-a- 
yard, a very light hand must be exercised ; if more than 
two feet, the turf may be pared above two inches in 
thickness. A valuable mass of compost will thus be 
obtained, and the proprietor may count on a surplus for 
other purposes after planting his fruit trees. 
In thus supposing the case of afield about to be made 
into a garden or orchard, we may also imagine that the 
surface soil is not so equal in character as ordinary 
ground which has been under the spade repeatedly; 
and which the last paper more especially referred to. 
In many cases the surface soil may prove unequal, both 
in depth and character, as to texture. Subsoils, too, 
vary much; and although means will be suggested to 
prevent the roots entering ungenial substances, yet a 
due attention must be given to its character in the 
outset. Sometimes the surface of the subsoil will rise 
to an inconvenient proximity to the surface ; or, in other 
words, will be irregular; besides this, what are termed 
“ pots ” may occur; that is to say, hollows in the surface 
of the subsoil, wherein decayed vegetable or other 
matter may have accumulated, like sediment in the 
bottom of a vessel. This generally occurs over a clayey 
or marly subsoil, in the vicinity of peaty or boggy 
grounds; but occur where it may, a jealous eye must 
be kept on such conditions. 
Now, it has been a very common practice to trench 
very deep, and to remove every obstacle, cost what it 
might. People who do this must surely have more 
money than discretion. I have heard of gardens, where 
the whole body of soil of an infertile character (or 
supposed to be so) was trenched over four or five feet in 
depth (although the natural soil was by no means a 
yard), the bad subsoil removed, and its place supplied 
by expensive composts, the plunder of valuable pas¬ 
tures, combined with the equally valuable material of 
the farm-yard; and all this to produce sundry huge 
cauliflowers too big for the cook’s saucepan, and celery 
too gigantic and coarse to be long preferred, unless for 
exhibition purposes. This is all very well to astonish 
folks with, but as a profitable investment it will not 
bear consideration. To use cauliflowers which cost a 
crown a head in their production will not suit one 
taste in a hundred. 
The question before us, then, is, how to manage a I 
plot of uneven ground of a rather infertile character in 
the most economical way; a due regard being had to 
future success? Here the question assumes two shapes: j 
the one, the orchard alone; and the second, the fruit ; 
and vegetable garden. In either case there can be no | 
objection to trenching the whole over after draining, 
especially if vegetable culture is to be carried out; but i 
the depth to which to trench is an affair that requires j 
a moment’s consideration. It may be supposed, very j 
fairly, that no person would select a plot of ground for j 
this double purpose, unless an average of nearly half-a- j 
yard of soil can be relied on; but if from twenty to 
thirty inches so much the better. When such is the 
case, and the soil and subsoil are uniform as to cha 
racter and level, the case is one of extreme simplicity, 
and involves little expense; but when the surface-soil 
is uneven in point of depth, so that the subsoil, in 
places, does almost “ crop-out,” the depth of trenching 
must be regulated accordingly. In some cases it may 
be well to open a trench nearly three feet in depth, if 
the soil be good to that extent; and if after proceeding 
awhile it is found shallower, the operator will, perhaps, 
find it necessary to fill part of his trench in: this, how¬ 
ever, is putting an extreme case. If the surface of the 
ground is uneven, and the proprietor will have it levelled, 
the operator had better keep aside-line, or gauge, by him 
through the process; or he may form stations, to indi¬ 
cate the level by means of sight sticks. He will thus 
be led to make frequent exchanges as he proceeds ; 
sometimes borrowing, sometimes paying, and the wheel- 
harrow will be in frequent use. It will be found, too, 
occasionally, that in lowering knolls or high portions, 
that the subsoils will be brought nearer than at other 
portions; but having assumed a maximum and mini¬ 
mum depth to begin with, it must be sustained by 
removing as much of the subsoil as will provide that 
depth ; and, possibly, this subsoil may be got rid of in 
other portions. 
Now, supposing the garden a square, or nearly so; 
and that it is required to be levelled; the operator should 
examine well the exterior lines, or sides, before he com¬ 
mences, and see which side, or sides, must and ought to 
rule the rest in regard of the levels; for it will generally 
be found, that walks, or objects either already formed, 
or to be done, have a right to influence such levels. 
Such a line, or lines, then, should have the necessary 
stations set up from whence the crosslines will proceed. 
In trenching, the ground may be “chopped out” by line 
into parallel strips; their width ruled by the number of 
men to be employed in the operation ; each man should 
| be allowed about three yards. 
j Another consideration remains; Is any manure re 
j quired to be introduced? Where this is the case, the 
| process becomes more complex and requires a little 
[ sound workmanship. In the case of a new garden for 
vegetables and fruits, and where it is desirable to 
trench for the sake of levelling and equalising, it will 
generally be found a better plan to introduce manures 
subsequently. In the first place, there will be no occa¬ 
sion to introduce manure where the trees are to be 
planted ; and next, new soils, in which the surface or 
best soil is trenched down, do not, in general, require 
manurial matters at a low level. Besides, it is great 
odds but the soil will prove somewhat stubborn, and 
will need twice working; requiring to lay awhile in 
order to acquire a mellow or crumbling condition. In 
such cases, it will be well to add manure for vegetables 
just before cropping; when it may be deeply dug in. 
It must be borne in mind, that trenching some eighteen 
inches or more in depth has a tendency to bring up 
soil, which, although fresher in character than the sur- 
