78 A BOOK ABOUT ROSES. 



funeral-pyre ; preserve all other prunlngs, decayed vege- 

 tables, haulm, roots, refuse, rubbish, weeds, — 



" Since nought so vile, that on the earth doth live, 

 But to the earth some special good doth give," — 



and when you have a goodly oinniiun gatJierum, make 

 ready your furnace. Arrange your thorns and more in- 

 flammable material as a base, then an admixture of more 

 solid fuel from your stores, lightening and condensing alter- 

 nately, and in the centre disposing some large pikes dc 

 resistance, such as old tree-stumps, useless pieces of rotting 

 timber, and the like, which, once fairly on fire, will go 

 smouldering on for a fortnight. On this heap, well kindled, 

 and around it, place your clay, renewing it continually as 

 the fire breaks through. The pile must be watched so that 

 the flames may be thus constantly suppressed, the clay 

 burnt gradually, and not charred to brickdust. " The ashes 

 of burnt soil are said to be best," writes Morton, "when 

 they are blackest ; black ashes are produced by slow com- 

 bustion, and red ashes by a strong fire." Mix these ashes 

 with the parent soil, and then there remains, so far as the 

 soil is concerned, but one addition to be made, and of this 

 we will treat presently. 



First crossing, if you please, the little bridge which 



