THE FLOEAL WOKLD AND GAEDEN GUIDE. 41 



did not do, as tliey were left there, and the spot being sliady, they 

 soon made fresh roots ; and at the time I first saw them they had 

 made a most vigorous growth, and had sent out runners near two 

 yards round. Here then was the result of an accident, and at the 

 same time a proof that the material would be valuable for straw- 

 berry cidture. Acting upon the hint thus thrown in my way, I set 

 to work, and had the whole of the heap brought into the garden ; it 

 was then almost like a black mould ; and as a piece of strawberries 

 had just been planted, I gave the whole surface a covering of three 

 inches, reserving a good quantity for a trial with the British Queen. 

 Its effect upon the newly-planted beds was something like magic, 

 for as soon as they began to make new roots (for I had very care- 

 fully forked it in round them) they grew in a most luxuriant man- 

 ner, and at the end of one summer had made an extraordinary 

 growth. Kow I know this sort of material by very many is not able 

 to be got, but still in country places it is accessible to some ; I have 

 therefore stated what I know about it for the benefit of those few. 



This occurred, as I before stated, upon a cold, undrained soil 

 where the British Queen had previously failed to thrive. My plan 

 of proceeding was this. I had three rows marked out, two feet 

 apart, across a good wide quarter. I then dug out a trench the 

 width of the spade, fifteen inches deep ; the top soil was thrown 

 out separately, and the bottom stuff wheeled away. I then put 

 into the trenci, four or five inches thick, a lot of rough spray wood, 

 w^hich in some country places is very cheap. This was trod in as 

 close as it would go ; the soil was then put back, and with two rows 

 was put the remainder of the decayed bean-chaff I have before referred 

 to ; with the other row a good supply of well-rotted dung was incor- 

 porated. After this, as labour was plentiful, I had the plot fre- 

 quently forked over on fine days during a period of three weeks, so 

 that it was brought to a nice friable condition previous to planting. 



AVhen the plants were put out, and got well hold of the soil, 

 they made a rapid growth in those two rows where bean-chaff was 

 used ; its lijjht and kindly nature caused the roots to work vigo- 

 rously, so that at the end of twelve months they vrere well esta- 

 blished ; while the other row, although evidently benefited by the 

 drainage underneath, was less vigorous and healthy. Erom these 

 facts one very important piece of information was obtained, that 

 special drainage was necessary in this instance, and when applied in 

 conjunction with this decayed matter, a still better result attended 

 it. The ordinary mode of draining a garden may do in some cases 

 for the welfare of this variety, but there are others in which extra 

 attention is necessary in this particular, and when so applied it 

 should be placed immediately under the rows, that they may receive 

 the full benefit of it. But 'even this will not insure the well-doing 

 of British Queen in some places, for there are hundreds of gardens 

 in England where it is a complete failure, the true cause of which 

 remaius to this day a perfect mystery. Some, it is true, have made 

 the attempt to explain the why and the wherefore, but their efforts 

 to satisfy the minds of practical men have, for the want of sound 

 reasoninij, been futile. 



