ON PREPARING BORDERS. 175 



The house should always be built in the early part of summer, 

 that the work may have time to settle and season before the plants 

 are finally arranged therein. The pit also, in which they are to be 

 planted, should be filled some time before on the same account. For 

 which purpose, the following composts snould be used in manner 

 here specified. 



Having the pit first emptied to its proper depth, which should be 

 at least two feet and a half, spread a sufficient quantity of broken tiles, 

 pots, or coarse gravel in the bottom, to make a floor of four or six 

 inches, for the purpose of keeping it as well drained as possible, and 

 over this, a layer of the coarsest siftings of the peat, about six or 

 eight inches thick, to prevent the finer mould filling up the inter- 

 stices in the under stratum. This done, prepare a quantity sufficient 

 to fill up the remainder of loam and peat ; they must be well mixed 

 together and chopped rather fine, about equal quantities of each is a 

 good proportion, and if about one-fifth of fine sand were added, it 

 would benefit the compost materially. The whole should be cast up 

 in a heap, so that any large lumps or tufts of roots may be the more 

 easily raked oft", which is all the preparation it requires. 



The mould being prepared as above, proceed to fill up the pit with 

 it, and observe to raise it considerably above the kirbs of the pit to 

 allow for its sinking ; also to make it as level as possible, that it may 

 settle the more regular. There will likewise be a number of smaller 

 detached places to be filled, which are intended for the reception of 

 the different climbers ; such as a border along the back wall, against 

 trellis work, or pillars in the centre of the house, and the piers between 

 the front and end upright sashes. These should generally be filled 

 in the same manner as the pit ; unless in a case where there is a 

 small space intended to be occupied by a single plant. There, the 

 upper stratum should be composed entirely of such sort of earth, as 

 may be thought most suitable to the species of plant proposed to be 

 planted therein. 



This business should not be deferred later than the middle of July, 

 so that the earth may have sufficient time to settle, and the plants to 

 establish themselves therein before winter. Note, the top or sloping 

 lights of the roof should not be put on as yet; the free action of the 

 atmospheric air, being particularly necessary to purify and assimilate 

 the component parts of the soil. 



When the mould has sufficiently settled and is judged fit to receive 

 the plants, which will be in about a month, they should be planted 

 without further delay ; in performing which it will be requisite, first 

 to set each plant on the surface, in the place wherein it is intended it 



