168 



A HINT TO PLANT GROWERS. 



sential to the different tribes. I have my- 

 self been in the habit of following this prac- 

 tice for several years past, but I can assure 

 you that since I have taken up the roasted 

 turf, I find all my plants to thrive so 

 well upon it, that I have abandoned the 

 mixed compost system entirely. All that I 

 use now is roasted turf and good fresh 

 loamy soil, or roasted turf, loamy soil and a 

 little peat, when heaths, etc., are to be 

 grown. 



After putting some potsherds in the bot- 

 tom, for drainage, I fill up the pot one third 

 with the rough pieces of roasted turf, brok- 

 en as large as eggs. The remainder of the 

 pot is filled with equal parts of loamy soil, 

 and bits of the turf, the latter chopped up 

 or crumbled rather coarsely. I find on turn- 

 ing out a plant that has been growing for 

 several months in this way, that the bits of 

 roasted turf in the bottom are a mass of 

 vigorous fibres, from which I gather that 

 this substance is full of nutrition for plants. 

 It gives the foliage a very rich dark-green 

 colour ; Cape Jasmines, Camellias, Or- 

 anges and Lemons, and all plants whose 

 foliage is apt to turn yellow without any 

 apparent cause, grow with rich deep green 

 leaves, when potted with the roasted turf. 



The use of this material is not original 

 with me, as I first obtained a knowledge of 

 it from Rivers' Rose Amateur^s Guide, in 

 which he recommends it for growing Roses 

 in pots, in the following terms : "I have 

 used with much success turf roasted on a 

 sheet of iron, placed in temporary brick 

 work, under which a moderate fire is kept : 

 about an hour's roasting is sufficient." 



My way of roasting it is very simple. I 

 cut sods of the usual thickness, from an 

 old common or lane, where the turf is good. 

 I have a plate of old cast iron, about three 

 feet square, which I obtained from a foun- 

 dry in the city. This makes the top of my 



furnace, and the sides of it are a couple of 

 brick walls, eight inches wide, laid up with- 

 out mortar, say two and a half feet high. 

 Upon these temporary walls, which make 

 the sides of the furnace, I lay the iron 

 plate. The whole thing is put up in twen- 

 ty minutes, in any convenient spot out of 

 doors, and the materials are taken down 

 and laid away as readily till next wanted, 

 when the operation is over. The fire is 

 made of any refuse brush or faggots that 

 the garden may afford. The operation of 

 roasting is nothing more than charring the 

 under side of the turf, and a pretty good 

 heap of turf can be charred in a day ; after 

 which, what is not used at once should be 

 laid by under cover till wanted. 



It is impossible for me to overrate the 

 good eflfects of the roasted turf ; and I hope 

 you will call the attention of your numerous 

 readers to it, for I am confident that they 

 will be much gratified and pleased with a 

 trial of its virtues. If you wish it, you are 

 at liberty to use any of the foregoing re- 

 marks. Truly, etc. 



A Constant Reader. 



Philadelphia, Au^. 27, 1847. 



Remarks. — We have no doubt of the 

 most excellent results from the use of the 

 roasted turf. The charred roots and grass 

 not only act beneficially in condensing with- 

 in their pores gaseous combinations, serving 

 directly as food for plants, but the soil it- 

 self, when subjected to high temperature, 

 becomes altered in character, is rendered 

 capable of absorbing aeriform food for 

 plants, which renders it more fertile than 

 before. The well known practice of burn- 

 ning clay soils, is based upon this principle. 



We have been in the habit, for three or 

 four years past, of using the freshly charred 

 refuse of the garden — a mixture of green 

 and dry weeds, bits of wood, roots of trees, 

 etc., to mingle with the soil in transplant- 



