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["clanSkeen" <sgian AT planetc.com>]

> This material has been recycled four times since the 1974 typewritten
> edition. I regret to report it is no longer up-to-date gardening 
> knowledge, it will intimidate beginning gardeners, and it will bore 
> experienced gardeners

I was a dedicated Jeavonite double digger and have the worn off shovels in 
testimony to same.  Experience has made me change my mind about that.  The 
first doubts were planted, as it were, by the book "Better Vegetables the 
Chinese Way" by Peter Chan.  He refered to Jeavon's double digging with the 
comment that it was unnecessary.  Heresy!!   But I've come to agree with his 
comment that as far as the second foot of earth goes "it is not concrete, 
the roots can penetrate it if they are of a mind to.."   Now I either turn 
the ground one spade depth (10") maybe, or not at all.   As time goes by it 
is more of the 'not at all'.  It's like the difference between growing cover 
crop after cover crop to build the soil or dumping about 30" of organic 
material on the plot.  The former will build the soil making the latter 
unnecessary but the latter is years quicker.  It's true that earthworms will 
drag down organic material but mixing the top 10" once or twice really 
speeds up the process.  A lot of this had to do (for me) in viewing the role 
of digging as mixing the soil and not, as in conventinal gardening and 
farming, a method of weed control.

I don't recommend double digging any more.  When you knew better you did 
better.


James