264 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
April  1,  1897. 
but  in  those  of  a  more  substantial  nature  they  are  worse  than 
useless. 
An  instrument  with  a  hard  steel  blade,  that  has  been  worn 
down  to  about  9  inches  in  length,  is  much  abetter  suited  for  ordi¬ 
nary  surface  digging,  and  even  for  trenching  or  double  digging 
two  spits  or  18  inches  is  sufficient  depth  for  the  majority  of 
garden  crops.  Men  naturally  prefer  a  spade  that  is  used  with  the 
least  labour,  and  the  affection  they  display  for  their  old  worn 
instruments  is  remarkable  ;  but  though  this  may  be  chiefly 
prompted  by  a  regard  for  themselves,  yet  I  am  certain  that  they 
usually  do  more  work,  and  in  a  better  manner,  than  if  they  are 
burdened  with  larger  tools.  For  ordinary  use  in  moderately  heavy 
soils,  a  blade  7^  inches  by  10  inches  is  quite  large  enough. 
The  size  of  a  fork  is  of  less  consequence  than  strength,  for  this 
is  one  amongst  the  garden  tools  that  should  be  made  of  the  best 
quality  material,  particularly  where  there  is  much  rough  heavy 
work  to  be  done.  Either  four  or  five-tined  forks  can  be  used,  and 
in  light  soils  the  instrument  known  as  a  Potato  fork— i.e.,  with  flat 
tines — is  extremely  useful  where  soil-stirring  only  is  required,  and 
the  cultivation  has  been  good  for  some  time. 
The  method  of  using  the  spade  requires  attention,  for  there  are 
several  labour-wasting  ways  which  seem  to  be  learnt  naturally  if 
not  corrected.  Some  men  hold  the  spade  with  the  handle  in  the 
right  hand,  lifting  and  turning  with  the  left,  while  others  reverse 
the  process,  the  right  hand  doing  the  lifting.  In  my  experience  I 
have  found  that  the  majority  adopt  the  former  method,  and  though 
there  is  little  difference  in  the  quality  of  the  work  performed  by 
good  workmen  in  either  way,  yet  I  believe  that  if  two  men  are 
evenly  matched  in  strength  the  one  who  uses  his  right  hand  for 
lifting  can  do  the  greatest  amount  of  work,  unless  he  be  a  left- 
handed  man,  The  hand  and  arm  engaged  in  lifting  the  soil  has 
considerably  the  greater  strain  to  bear,  and  it  seems  unreasonable 
to  tax  more  severely  what  is  usually  the  weaker  arm. 
A  few  men  can  work  both  ways  equally  well,  which  is  useful 
when  two  are  together,  or  an  awkward  piece  of  ground  has  to  be 
finished.  The  right  or  left  foot  is  used  to  force  the  blade  into  the 
soil  according  to  the  way  the  man  is  digging,  but  even  in  this 
simple  matter  I  have  found  young  men  at  a  loss.  If  the  spade  is 
held  at  a  slight  angle  one  firm  pressure  with  the  foot  should  force 
it  into  the  soil  to  the  top  of  the  blade,  but  too  often  several  little 
jerky  pressures  are  given,  that  an  old  instructor  of  mine  used  to 
call  “  dancing  ”  on  the  spade,  which  is  a  waste  both  of  labour  and 
time. 
Except  for  rough  digging  in  autumn  or  early  winter,  when 
frosts  are  expected  to  do  the  breaking  down,  it  is  not  desirable  to 
take  a  great  thickness  of  soil  for  each  spit.  Some,  with  the  object 
of  getting  over  the  work  as  quickly  as  possible,  will  take  as  much 
soil  as  the  spade  will  hold  every  time,  and  the  result  is  in  heavy 
soil  that  the  clods  are  rarely  reduced  properly,  and  they  harden 
into  dry  unworkable  lumps.  A  moderate  thickness  of  soil  turned 
completely  over  and  broken  down  gives  far  better  results  in  exposing 
more  surface  to  the  air  and  improving  the  tilth.  This  is  one  point 
I  have  found  it  necessary  to  frequently  impress  upon  young  work¬ 
men— namely,  that  there  is  a  great  difference  in  the  methods  needed 
for  soil  that  is  to  be  exposed  for  some  months  before  it  is  occupied 
with  crops,  and  that  which  is  required  for  immediate  use.  In  the 
one  case  the  weather  performs  a  greater  part  of  the  work,  and  more 
efficiently  ;  in  the  other  it  must  be  done  as  well  as  possible  to 
secure  what  is  desired— namely,  the  utilisation  of  the  plant- 
sustaining  properties  locked  up  in  every  olod  of  earth. 
The  necessity  of  keeping  spades  clean  and  bright  should  be 
enforced  in  every  garden.  One  of  my  rules  that  I  insist  upon  being 
rigorously  enforced  is  thjit  all  tools  shall  be  properly  cleaned  at  the 
conclusion  of  each  day’s  work,  and  before  they  are  hung  up  in  the 
tool  house.  When  once  a  spade  or  fork  becomes  rusty  it  detracts 
considerably  from  the  ease  of  working  until  it  has  been  brightened 
by  use. 
Most  of  the  remarks*  in  reference  to  digging  are  equally 
applicable  to  forking  ;  but  in  a  general  way  it  may  be  taken  aa  a 
subsidiary  operation,  either  preparatory  to  digging  later  on  or  to 
follow  that  done  roughly  in  the  autumn.  It  is  usually  a  less 
thorough  means  of  ameliorating  the  toil,  but  is  useful  where  simple 
breaking  down  or  stirring  is  of  more  need  than  turning,  though  in 
fairly  holding  soils  the  latter  may  be  accomplished  with  the  fork 
provided  the  conditions  be  suitable. 
The  objects  of  such  an  important  operation  as  digging  should 
be  thoroughly  understood,  for  it  is  a  knowledge  which  guides  the 
hand.  It  is  astonishing  what  an  immense  amount  of  plant  food  a 
fairly  fertile  soil  contains,  and  a  large  proportion  of  this  can  be 
prepared  for  utilisation  by  plants  by  working  the  soil  in  digging 
and  other  operations.  Some  years  back  Dr.  Yoelcker  examined  the 
soil  on  good  farm  land  in  Hertfordshire,  and  the  result  of  his 
analysis,  we  learn  on  the  authority  of  Mr.  T.  Francis  Rivers, 
showed  that  in  the  first  6  inches  depth  there  were  the  follow¬ 
ing  quantities  per  acre  of  important  elements  or  compounds. 
Phosphoric  acid,  2£  tons  ;  potash,  5£  tons  ;  lime,  37  tons  ; 
magnesia,  tons  ;  sulphuric  acid,  tons  ;  nitric  acid,  22  lbs.  ; 
and  nitrogen,  1  ton. 
Moderately  heavy  soil,  such  as  is  suitable  for  fruit  trees,  taken 
to  the  depth  named — i.e.,  6  inches  from  the  surface,  would  average 
about  1000  tons  per  acre,  or  50  lbs.  to  55  lbs.  per  square  foot.  So 
that  the  proportions  named  may  be  regarded  as  approximately 
those  in  1000  parts  by  weight  of  the  soil  referred  to — i  e,  phos¬ 
phoric  acid  2‘5  per  1000,  potash  5  5  per  1000,  and  so  on.  This 
is  the  most  striking  illustration  known  to  me  of  the  wealth  locked 
up  in  a  good  soil,  and  serves  to  show  what  it  is  the  object  of 
digging  to  aid. 
The  more  soil  is  stirred  and  exposed  to  the  air  the  quicker  are 
the  chemical  changes  which  reduce  insoluble  substances  to  a  con¬ 
dition  in  which  they  become  available  as  plant  food.  Further,  by 
permitting  the  air  to  enter  freely  the  soil  is  rendered  dryer,  and 
therefore  warmer,  besides  being  more  readily  permeable  by  the  roots. 
With  judicious  use  of  the  spade,  the  fork,  and  the  hoe  a  man  can 
in  some  soils  be  partly  independent  of  manure,  or  what  is  equally 
to  the  purpose,  he  can  turn  to  the  best  possible  use  whatever  is 
applied.—  Practitioner. 
CUCUMBER  AND  TOMATO  TROUBLES. 
( Concluded  from  page  175.) 
Among  other  advice  given  by  scientists  we  are  told  that  directly 
a  plant  is  affected  by  the  black  stripe  it  ought  to  be  pulled  up,  and 
the  soil  it  was  rooting  in  either  wholly  changed  or  disinfected 
with  lime,  phenyle,  and  the  like  prior  to  putting  out  another  plant. 
That  is  what  we  do  when  the  affected  plants  happen  to  be  quite 
small,  but  if  the  disease  is  not  noticed  till  after  the  plants  are  2  feet 
and  upwards  in  height  they  would  have  to  be  iu  a  very  bad  plight 
indeed  before  I  should  advise  rooting  them  out.  Instances  have 
come  under  my  observation  where,  if  all  the  affected  plants  had 
been  removed,  few  or  none  would  have  been  left  standing. 
Market  growers  cannot  afford  to  miss  the  best  part  of  a  season 
in  that  way.  What  they  ought  always  to  do  is  to  raise  a  few 
score  more  plants  than  they  think  of  planting  in  the  first  instance. 
These  will  be  found  handy  for  filling  up  blanks  that  may  occur 
from  any  cause,  also,  if  my  advice  is  taken,  they  will  shift  a 
considerable  number  of  plants  into  11  inch  or  larger  pots.  These 
may  be  stood  among  the  rest  till  the  plants  become  tall  enough  to 
shade  and  inj  ure  each  other,  when  they  may  be  turned  to  good  account 
either  for  taking  the  place  of  comparatively  strong  plants  that  have 
become  badly  diseased,  or  they  may  be  arranged  along  the  walks 
at  the  ends  of  the  houses  or  other  positions  that  can  be  found  for 
them.  The  plants  must  be  slightly  sunk  in  the  soil,  well  supplied 
with  water  and  liquid  manure.  Thus  treated  they  will  do  well,  as 
the  roots  are  certain  to  spread  out  of  the  drainage  into  the  border. 
Nothing  I  have  tried  by  way  of  a  dressing  applied  to  the  foliage 
and  stems  has  done  anything  towards  checking  the  spread  of  the 
black  stripe  ;  b^t  by  attending  well  to  the  roots,  not  omitting  a 
dose  of  phenyle,1  and  maintaining  a  warm  dry  atmosphere,  the  bulk 
of  the  diseased  plants  have  “  grown  out  of  it,”  the  later  supplies  of 
fruit  being  heavy  and  free  from  disease  marks.  A  friend  of  mine 
with  whom  I  have  compared  notes  has  had  a  very  similar  expe¬ 
rience.  Most  of  his  affected  plants  “  grew  out  of  it  ”  last  season. 
