1 87 1.] THE SOIL -SUPPLY OF GARDENS. 345 



The soil exchanged, being much richer than the loam, yielded not 

 only better but earlier grass, while it was utterly unfit for the 

 potting-bench. The result was, a grant of as much soil yearly as was 

 required. Of course, it would have been much better, and quite as 

 harmless, to have taken the turf ; but we ran no risk of committing 

 ourselves ; and every gardener knows what a boon it is to get even 

 that which lies immediately below the thin skin of turf, instead of 

 being compelled to work with any rubbish he could otherwise scrape 

 together. By this method not even a season's sward is sacrificed ; but 

 if the turf be taken, and the ground properly laid down firmly, and 

 sown thickly with permanent grasses, and fenced round for a few 

 months, it is difficult at the close of the season, except by close 

 inspection, to know where the turf has been removed, unless it be by 

 the rich verdure of the spot. 



This question is one of vast moment to successful culture ; and we 

 feel confident that if many who, under an absurd dream, deny such a 

 supply, were to submit to one trial, there would not in the end be 

 any objections to taking the requisite amount each season. And we 

 are certain that many a just complaint from the gardener would be 

 avoided, and the produce of the garden vastly improved. 



While we thus point out the groundlessness of the idea that 

 gardeners would deteriorate the value of grass-land by the process we 

 have described, it is but right on the part of gardeners to be as spar- 

 ing and economical with soil so obtained as possible, and not to break 

 into fields more extensively than is absolutely necessary; for we admit 

 the process does create an eyesore and disturbance for a short time. 

 We have known the loam shaken from old Pine-plants, French Bean- 

 pots, from Melon and Cucumber pits, made no further use of, but 

 either wheeled into an open quarter of the garden or to the waste-heap, 

 while it might perfectly well have been made use of for many purposes 

 — such as mixing up for potting and boxing flower-garden plants. 

 Heaps of good soil are often collected with other rubbish under pot- 

 ting-benches, and then taken to the waste-heap. All such ought 

 to be sifted, and the good soil separated from the other matter, and 

 a place set apart for forming all soil collected in this way into a heap 

 that can be profitably used in many ways, with which all gardeners 

 are conversant. Hundreds would be glad to use what some refuse, 

 and in refusing, and drawing too greedily and injudiciously on fresh 

 supplies, are to some extent perpetuating the tenacity with which 

 so many owners of land refuse their gardeners fresh supplies. 



