44 THE BOOK OF THE ROSE CHAP. 
fair planting condition, but even then it should be 
trodden as little as possible. Anything that will 
mechanically keep the particles apart is good for 
digging into actual clay: long strawy manure, leaf 
mould, any vegetable refuse, road-scrapings, grit, 
light sandy or gravelly soil, or even coal ashes, will 
all help; but the best of all is the burnt clay itself, 
mixed well into the land. 
The clay should be burnt as follows. A large col- 
lection should be made of all manner of vegetable 
refuse, weeds, and rubbish that will not easily burn, 
sticks and wood both green and dry, but nothing 
except just the kindling that will not burn too 
quickly, Rose prunings and hedge clippings, rotten 
wood and old stumps, &c. Two or three large old 
roots that will smoulder a long time may be placed 
in the middle, and the heap arranged of such a 
mixture of fairly inflammable and damper materials 
that the fire will neither go out nor break into fierce 
flame. In and upon and around this heap, when 
well on fire, should be placed the clay in quantity 
proportionate to the amount of fire. Constant 
watching will be necessary to add fresh clay when 
it is needed and to prevent the fire going out or 
breaking through too fiercely anywhere, the object 
being to char the clay black and not to burn it red. 
I recommend, as the best instruction possible for 
this as for all mechanical operations, seeing it once 
done by an old and experienced hand. The clay 
burnt red as a brick will be useful as a disintegrator 
at all events; but the black charred clay will also 
have a considerable manurial value, and it is 
generally agreed that there is nothing like it for 
