344 THE GARDENER. [Aug. 



Pine-Apples and other pot-plants can be reared on road-scrapings, 

 or clay, or any otlier composts equally unsuitable to the best cul- 

 tural results. That policy which compels gardeners just to take 

 any sort of soil that they can get, and prohibits them from taking a 

 supply of that which is proper, is not only an unreasonable but a short- 

 sighted policy on the part of employers. We have known gardeners con- 

 nected with large landed estates obliged to take road-scrapings to pot 

 with, and to pot their pines in clay mixed with chopped straw and leaves, 

 while plenty of good loam could be had in tlie nearest meadows. Not 

 only is this a stupid policy, but the apprehensions which lead proprietors 

 thus to refuse proper soil are entirely delusive and without foundation. 

 They will not allow the gardener to break into the meadow, because they 

 fear that by so doing their lands will be sadly and permanently deterio- 

 rated. Even if he offers to replace it with a richer and better grass- 

 producing soil, the offer is seldom reassuring, and in some cases not 

 entertained for a moment. We are not now supposing cases for the 

 sake of a purpose. Indeed, we venture to assume that a large propor- 

 tion of gardeners can endorse from their own experience what we are 

 stating. 



We once held a situation where we were driven, as the saying is, 

 "to our wits' end" for want of soil to pot with. At last, after a 

 sort of special pleading, and a controversion of the ideas of the pro- 

 prietor — and always, in this battle, his lieutenant the farm-bailif — 

 permission was obtained to test our statements in the corner of an old 

 meadow. Of course, it was not expected of us that we could substantiate 

 the assertion that the produce, and consequently the value, of the 

 patch would be increased instead of deteriorated. On the contrary, 

 the performance was regarded as a piece of impudent robbery, more 

 especially as gardeners are not expected to know anything of farming 

 or meadows. How can they? However, our success was complete. 

 The yield of hay was nearly doubled, and in the autumn the grass 

 was green and sweet, resorted to by cattle and sheep in preference to 

 any other part of the meadow. The issue was that a regular supply 

 was granted so long as the bargain was implemented in the same way. 

 And what was the process 1 Simply first to mow as closely as possible 

 the grass, then to skin off the turf as thinly as it would hang together 

 and bear handling. Then the 3 inches of soil lying immediately 

 underneath the thin skin, and which contained the roots of the grass, 

 was taken for the garden. The space was filled up with old rich soil, 

 such as is not very difficult to procure about most garden establish- 

 ments ; at least most gardeners will be glad to provide such, by hook 

 or by crook, to exchange for maiden loam. The surface was rolled 

 down firmly, turfed over with the same turf, and well rolled again. 



