It is well- known, or at least should be, to all gardeners, that trenching is to the soil one of the most beneficial of gardening operations.

The past summer will long be remembered as one of the hottest on record, and has proved to my satisfaction that deep stirring of the soil is the best remedy against the evil effect produced on the various crops in the kitchen-garden by a long and severe drought.

When I entered my present situation twelve months past, the kitchen-garden, 3 acres in extent, was in a most uninviting condition. My employer told me it produced little the previous summer, weeds excej)ted; and I had ocular proof, in the luxuriant crops of groundsel and other weeds, some of which had recently underwent the operation of mowing, that his information was not to be doubted.

Such being the case, I concluded that trenching would be the best means of getting rid, to a certain extent, of the enormous number of weed-seeds that necessarily must occupy the surface of the soil. I therefore determined that all the space not occupied by permanent crops should be trenched. However, circumstances over which I had no control occurred, and prevented me carrying out my intentions. I was therefore obliged to be content with getting one-half trenched, the remainder being dug in the usual way.

Now, if I had been able to have had the whole trenched as intended, I would have had no means, during the past summer, of comparing the difference between the crops on the trenched and those on the un-trenched quarters. As it was, I had an excellent opportunity of noting the beneficial results arising from deep cultivation. The various crops on the trenched portion succeeded entirely to my satisfaction, whilst those on the untrenched were in most instances a decided failure.

It is unnecessary for me to describe here the mode of trenching, as it is known to all gardeners; but I may state that, in this instance, I had a quantity of decayed leaves wheeled on to the quarters, and, as the work proceeded, laid with a paring, about 3 inches in thickness, of the surface-soil at the bottom of the trench. I was very particular in having the paring placed as low down as possible, for the reason previously alluded to - namely, the getting quit of weed-seeds.

Let me, in conclusion, urge every gardener who wishes for good and tender vegetables, to have, at least, a portion of the kitchen-garden trenched every year. J. H.