THE VEGETABLE GARDEN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 20024, 14 August 1928, Page 15

THE VEGETABLE GARDEN.

BY F.3.E.

breaking up the soil.

The initial stage in the preparation of the ground for the majority of crops consists of working the soil deeply. This may be done either by digging the plot over to the full depth of the spade or by trenching. The method should depend on the depth to which the roots of the crop will penetrate. A loosened subsoil greatly assists the development of deep-rooting crops, no matter whether they are actually root crops or not. If the roots have to penetrate a stiff compacted subsoil their development is naturally hindered. The question of the food supply has also to be taken into consideration. All gardeners are aware of the fact that it is extremely difficult to get soil to pulverise or break up into small particles or even small clods if it has caked at all. Unless the spade is used it is practically impossible to produce any degree of fineness in the soil. On the other hand, it is equally impossible to get the soil to break up readily if it is dug while on the moist side. It is only by subsequent tillage that friability is produced in either case. If the digging or trenching, as the case may be, is performed while the soil is in a certain condition, it crumbles as it is turned over and attains that degree of friability that is most desired. This obviates the necessity for most of the subsequent tilling that is otherwise required. It is when the ground is drying up that the soil reaches a stage in which the lamps disintegrate in the manner mentioned above. After a wet spell a few days of warm sunshine soon brings the ground into a workable condition, and it should be watched carefully until it is just right to bo dug. By turning over a spit every day the gardener will ascertain fcy the manner in which it digs just when the ground is ready. When the plot has been dug over allow it a week or two in which to sweeten before attempting to perform any other tilling operation on it. As mentioned before, it should not need much breaking down when dug under ideal conditions. Ground which has been turned over under less favourable conditions should, if possible, he broken up when in a better state. This spplies also to working the ground to incorporate any material.