134 ON A DESCRIPTION OP BINS, &C 



time, and this state is essential to the perfect decomposition and 

 commixture of the materials forming the compost. The Bins be- 

 ing open, are fully exposed to all changes of temperature, but 

 the whole set should be covered with alight roof to protect them 

 from excessive wet, and shade them from the heat of the sun. 



The bottom of the lower tier of Bins, is six inches below the 

 surface of the ground, or level of the passage or gangway, (which 

 should be a paved one) this is to prevent the draining into the 

 gangway of a superfluous mixture from the soils kept in the 

 Bins. The whole may be surrounded with an ornamental bank, 

 hedge, &c. 



The 2 Bins marked A hold 8 bushels each ? -p. 



The 4 do B ,. 4 \ kl S- l - 



The 1 do C ... 3 , -) 



The 8 do D ,.\\ J- do. 3. 



The 9 do E .. 1 J 



The most economical and also very durable construction would 

 be that of bricks set in Roman cement in the partition walls or 

 their edges. The bottoms of the Bins in the upper tier should 

 be of stone, each Bin should be labelled (three inches by one 

 broad) with white paint, and upon this may be written with a 

 black lead pencil (b b) the name of the compost. The following 

 is a list of the size and number of pots which a bushel of com- 

 post will fill. The utility of this list consists in enabling a per- 

 son to mix as much of any one kind of compost as will be requir- 

 ed to fill a given number of pots, so that there will not be any 

 waste of materials, which in situations where they are scarce, will 

 be of no slight importance. 



A bushel fills 160 small 60s 80 large 60s 60 small 48 s 40 large 48 s 

 26 small 32s 20 large 32s 14 small 24s 10 large 24s 



I have been at some trouble in collecting for my own use, 

 (principally from the pages of the Cabinet) a number of formula 

 for preparing composts, they are arranged in a tabular form, 

 which I find exceedingly convenient for reference. Will the list 

 be acceptable ? (Yes Conductor) if so, I will send it. I really 

 think it would be very useful to the readers of the Cabinet. I 

 think gardeners need not be under any apprehension of making 

 amateurs too wise, for very few indeed will aim at more than 



