The Union and eastern journal. [volume] (Biddeford [Me.]) 1854-1858, 1856-05-23
MARCUS WATSON. Printer.
agrifaltural.
Preparing Soil for Gardens.

There are several reasons why the soils of
gardens should be made better than for or
diary farm crops. /. Most Of the products
Of gardens are ola succulent nature, or will
otherwise bear high feeding, such as garden
roots in general, plants whose leaves fur
nish food, Us lettuce, cabbage, &C., or those
which produce large and succulent fruits,
as cucumbers, melons, squashes, &c. 3 As
nearly oil garden crops are the immediate
food of man, while many farm crops are only
the coarscr food of animals, greater care and
skill may properly be applied in bringing
the former forward to high degree Of per-
fectlon. 3. The great amount Of family
supplies which may be obtained from half
acre garden, provided the best soil is pre-
pared for their growth, renders it a matter
ofequal Importance and economy, to give
the soil the very best prepantion.
II rarely happens that there is much Sc
lection to be made in soils as we find them
in nature, for gardening purposes, unless
particular attention is given to the subject
in choosing site'fora new dwelling. Gen
orally we have taken land as we fndi it. Un-
less, therefore, we happen to find it just
right, we should endeavor TO improve il in
the best manner. The principal means for
making perfect garden soil, are draining,
trenching and manuring.
Now, lest any one should be startled at
the onset, with the fear Of cost in thus pre-
pairing the soil, we may remark that the en-
tire expense ofpreparing halfan acre, (which
would constitute large kitchen garden,)
would not in general, amount to more than
the amount saved in a single year in the
purchase Of food for family supplies. by the
fine and abundant vegetables afforded. If
the owner cannot possibly prepare his half
or quarter acre of land properly, then we
would earnestly requst him to occupy the
ground with something else than garden
crops, and to take only a single square rod,
(if he cannot attend to more,) and give this
the most perfect preparation. A square rod
Of rich, luxuriant vegetables, viii be found
more valuable than eighty rods or half an
acre Of scant, dwarfed, and stingy growth,
which no one will wish to eat; while the
extra cost and labor spent on the eighty rods
in seeds, digging and hoeing, would have
been more than sufficient to prepare the
smaller plot in the most complete manner.
Let the determination be made, therefore,
at the commencement, to take no more land
than can be properly prepared, and in the
most thorough manner.
l. Draining. a few soils do not require
draining, but with most It will be indispen
sable. Where the subsoil is grayelly or
porous, 50 that any amount OF extra sur
face water will be Immediately discharged
below, the operation is not needed: but in
all cases where, in digging a hole two feet
deep, the water is found to stand in its bot
tom during the wetcst times, we may be
sure that draining will be OF the greatest inn
portance, IN preventing cold, sour subsoil,
and stagnant water beneath its surface
Such condition OF the soil could not fail
70 prove exceedingly detrimental to good
growth, and drains not more than thirty feet
apart should be made as the first indispensa-
BILE requisite. No one who has never given
draining full and fair trial, can appreciate
its importance. 1t often happens that the
soil may be worked and planted from two to
four weeks enrlier in spring-a most impor-
tant advantage for early vegetables, where
n Few DAYS Of accelerated maturity are so
highly valued. Scarcely less, is the benefit
during the rest of the season, in preventing
q hard and baked soil in times Of drouth.
9. Trenehing. A surface soil Of few
inches only. will not answer for good gar
den. The roots Of succulent vegetables must
extend into deeper bed of fertility and
greater depth Of pulyerization is required to
absorb surplus rains, and to give or the ae-
cumulated moisture in dry weather. a
shallow soil will become deluged by single
shower, because the hard subsoil will not
allow il to pas downward; and again in
the heat and drouth OF midsummer, a thin
stratum is made dry and marched in a week,
while one Of create, dcp,h becomes scarcely
affected. wem,sht cite numerous'instanees,
where trenched gardens remained in the
finest state of luxurienOc during mos, severe
drouths, when Others under ordinary man
arement were nearly burnt up with the heat,
growth having quite ceased, and leaves curl
cd and whitening for want of moisture.
The mode of trcuching mus, vary with
circumstances. In small circumscribed