THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN aUIDE. 79 



once without any previous stacking up to rot the fibre, though if 

 stacked for twelve months it will be better than if used green. In 

 removing the turf for this purpose the workman should not cut it 

 as if for laying down to form a lawn, but should chip it up with the 

 broad end of the pick, so that it comes off like felt, and with very 

 little earth attached to the roots of the grass. Turf taken from a 

 clay soil will suit equally well, if the turf is old, as it will then con- 

 sist chiefly of vegetable matter, but this turf will require to have an 

 equal, or nearly equal, bulk of sharp sand added to the whole. This 

 should be thoroughly well chopped up, and when the bed is made, it 

 will be well to cover it with a layer of pure sand two or three inches 

 deep. We have constantly followed this practice in laying out grounds 

 in districts where peat was attainable ; and have, in fact, never found 

 any difficulty in establishing hardy peat plants in beds formed 

 entirely of turf, giving the preference invariably to the old turf of 

 a poor common to that from a fat meadow, though even this last is 

 acceptable if it is an old sward, and can be mellowed by the addition 

 of sand. 



Another excellent and almost perfect substitute for peat is leaf- 

 mould. But to use this requires more care than is usually supposed, 

 and through lack of this necessary care, many good collections of 

 rhododendrons have been injured beyond recovery. The fact is 

 that when large quantities of leaf-mould are required for making up 

 rhododendron beds, there is a great temptation to use much mate- 

 rial in a state of only partial decay, and consequently there often 

 occurs an outbreak of the mycelium of fungi, which, attacking the 

 roots of the shrubs, causes disease, and in some cases ends in their 

 death. If a sample of half-decayed leaf-mould be submitted to 

 careful examination, it will be found to contain a large proportion of 

 woody sticks, such as twigs of trees, etc., etc. Perhaps adhering to 

 these may be seen some suspicious white cottony threads, and these 

 threads are the mycelium, and wherever that occurs in the soil, the 

 roots of living trees are placed in jeopardy. It is for this reason, if 

 for no other, that leaf-mould should always be used with caution, 

 but considering how gardeners allow old shoes, iron-hoops, worn-out 

 coal-skuttles, and other household refuse to get into their muck-pits, 

 the wonder is that leaf-mould is ever fit for any useful purpose — 

 certainly, if it is worth saving at all, it should be kept in as clean a 

 state as possible. 



But supposing the leaf-mould to be thoroughly rotted to powder, 

 it may be used as the principal part of the staple for artificial peat. 

 Add to it one-third or one-fourth of its bulk of sharp sand, and the 

 like quantity of dung rotted to powder, and any kind of Americans will 

 grow in it admirably. The remark just made in reference to the neces- 

 sity of leaf-mould being thoroughly decomposed, applies with equal 

 force to the dung ; if it is not in the condition of dust, say three 

 years old at least, it will do harm, but when rotten dung of that age 

 can be obtained, it is a very valuable addition to a compost intended 

 for peat plants, if used in moderate quantity. 



There is yet another way of making a substitute for peat. Clear- 

 ings of old hedge-rows, wlaere leaves have been heaping and decay- 



