92 WrXDOTT GARDENING. 



Leaf-mould may be employed as a substitute for peat ; and it has this advantage, 

 that it is procurable wherever there is a garden of any extent. 



2. Good hazel loam, of a friable nature, from the top of a pasture. It is best 

 taken off with the turf, and should then be allowed to remain fully exposed at least 

 a year before use, by which time the grass and roots will be decayed. By good 

 loam, we understand a soil whose chief constituent is aluminous earth or clay ; lime, 

 sand, and vegetable matter being always present in exceedingly variable pro- 

 portions. The aluminous earth of the loam may be regarded as the vehicle of 

 the more soluble substances employed in conjunction with it ; they are slowly 

 absorbed, and require to be constantly replaced to maintain the fertility of the soil, 

 but the earth to which we have referred undergoes no change. 



3. A small quantity of thoroughly decayed stable manure, or, where it can be 

 obtained, dried pulverized cow-dung. One of these is indispensable for the more 

 gross-feeding plants, especially the Balsam and Cockscomb ; and most plants will 

 grow more luxuriantly in a compost containing a small portion of this substance. 

 It must, however, be completely decayed, for in a fresh state it is utterly unsuited 

 for delicate plants ; and it would be better to employ peat or leaf-mould as a 

 substitute, if the manure is not thoroughly decomposed. 



4. A small quantity of sharp white sand. This may be obtained of most iron- 

 mongers, but cheaper of the nurseryman. When the peat is very sandy, any 

 addition of siliceous matter will be unnecessary ; but a small supply will be found 

 very useful for striking cuttings of delicate plants. 



Of the four ingredients we have named, we would advise that a good bag-full be 

 procured, if no other source is available, from the nearest nurseryman, who would 

 certainly be willing to supply them for a small charge. The most indispensable 

 are the loam and peat ; the others, although desirable, are not absolutely necessary, 

 except in particular cases. 



For general purposes a mixture may be made of two parts good loam, two parts of 

 peat, one part of decayed manure, and unless the peat is very sandy, one part of 

 white silver sand ; but a portion of peat should be kept in its original state, for such 

 plants as the Azalea, Heath, and Acacia. The ingredients should be well mixed 

 together with the hand, but on no account sifted, and except for small pots, it is not 

 desirable to rub it too fine. The compost may be preserved for use in a small tub 

 or cask, and should be kept neither too wet nor too dry. If the former, it becomes, 

 during the process of potting, a compact mass, which, contracting as it gets drier, 

 leaves a space between the interior of the pot and the ball of earth ; if it is too dry, 

 it prevents for a considerable time the free passage of moisture to the roots ; and if 

 the plant itself be dry at the time of potting, it will often suffer greatly ere it can 

 receive sufficient moisture to recruit the evaporated juices. Peat soil in particular, 

 when thoroughly dry, as it is liable to become in summer, repels water in a 



