36G THE FLORIST. 



garden. Hitherto we have few plants that will equal its rich orange 

 colour, that are adapted for bedding purposes. With a little manage- 

 ment it may be grown in great perfection in the open air. 1 have this 

 season seen a mass ofit wliich, in the middle of September, presented a 

 beautiful appearance. It was planted on a raised bed in a mixture of 

 peat, loam, and decayed leaves — in light soils, of course, this preparation 

 would be unnecessary. 



There is a great variety of plants, such as the Liliums, Gladiolus, 

 and several species belonging to the genera above enumerated, which 

 are in themselves exceedingly beautiful, though not adapted for bedding 

 purposes, in consequence of their meagre appearance as regards foliage. 

 In the neighbourhood of Paris and other parts of France, this defect is 

 remedied by mixing with them such plants as will supply the necessary 

 amount of foliage. The common Asparagus is used extensively for 

 this purpose, and I have heard those who have been accustomed to 

 visit those gardens speak in high terms of the effect produced. This 

 Tritonia, though' less in need of such assistance, would doubtless be 

 greatly improved in appearance by the admixture of a suitable " under- 

 growth." 



The Asparagus, of course, would only be suitable for such plants as 

 would throw tlieir flowers partly above its foliage, but for dwarfer 

 flowering plants there are numerous low-growing evergreens that would 

 answer the purpose admirably, and probably many of the hardy Ferns, 

 for certain situations, might be turned to good account. 



0. P. 



THE IMPROVEMENT OF SOILS. 

 It is an established law that the constituents or substances which enter 

 into the formation of a fertile soil and the atmosphere of plants and of 

 animals are the same, that is to say, the bodies of animals, the substances 

 of plants, and the ordinary soil and atmosphere are formed of the same 

 materials. The practical inference from such a proposition is this, that, 

 in order to obtain as large an amount of produce as possible, it is 

 necessary that all the constituents of plants and animals should be 

 present either in the soil or atmosphere, or both. We are unable to 

 alter the composition of the atmosphere, because certain of the laws which 

 govern it cause a very equal mixture of its constituents throughout its 

 whole extent. We must, therefore, turn our attention to the soil, 

 ascertain its composition, and so change it if necessary, as to present to 

 the roots of plants all the substances which are requisite for their growth 

 and perfection. As there is generally more vacant ground in gardens 

 at this season of the year than at any other, a few remarks on the 

 improvement of soils may not be out of place ; matters of this kind can 

 have most attention at this time of the year. The subject is one of 

 vast importance, and demands volumes. I can, therefore, only touch 

 upon a very few points. I may premise that I profess no great under- 

 standing of the subject, though I have given it much thought. 



A very fertile soil must contain a considerable supply of all the 



