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[Clansgian AT wmconnect.com]

> Jeavon's book "How to Grow More Vegetables Than You Ever Thought Possible 
> On 
> Less Land Than You Can Imagine"?
> 

That was my Bible for many gardening years.  While still an unabashed admirer 
of Jeavons, I have come to realize that his "method" was ideally suited for 
southering California and is less suited elsewhere.

After double-digging for a number of years, I came across a book "Better 
Vegetables the Chinese Way" (Peter Chan) which closely approximates Jeavon's 
method sans the double digging.   

My conclusion has been that in certain soils, double digging is worth while 
*once*.  With its roots literally in Jeavon's method, my way of gardening now 
is to do a modification of single digging (with a spade) and mulching almost 
to 
the point of the no-tillers.  Thus Jeavons' 20"-24" of growing depth is 
achieved partially from digging and mostly by the accumulation of organic 
material.

One of Jeavon's best contributions is teaching that physical sides on growing 
beds are unnecessary at best and a detrement at worst.  The sides of beds in 
practice do not erode.

I was much a fan and practicioner of his very close spacing, but as time has 
gone by, I have gravitated away from that in favor of more open spacing for 
most things.

However, if space were the primary concern, I'd revert to it.   </HTML>