3S8 GARDEN MANAGEMENT. 



on, "for I would lose no time in planting' them, for, as it takes years to pro- 

 duce a crop from them, the season should not be lost." 



1 137. Where the evil arises from a system of over-manuring, the remedy is 

 to clear a good portion of the richest earth away, "Generally speaking," says 

 a correspondent of the Gardener's Chronicle, ''there are few places where an 

 exchange of fresh earth may not be made : for this garden soil forms one of the 

 most valuable dressings for pasture or meadow land which can be met with. 

 It is not always possible to get turf, or even soil, from pasture land, which is 

 the very best for garden purposes ; but failing this, that from arable land, 

 if moderately fresh and loamy, will fomi no bad substitute. "When the rich 

 top-soil has been removed, spread a good dressing of quicklime over the lower 

 surface and fork it in, — if the lime is an inch in thickness it will not be 

 too much. Afterwards road-scrapings or old mortar may be added when the 

 soil is heavy, and marl or a dressing of the scourings of ditches when it is 

 light. When this is well mixed with the lower spit, bring in the fresh 

 earth and thoroughly incorporate the whole together, 



1138. "Eather than do this imperfectly, it will be better that only a small 

 portion should be done at once, commencing with those portions on which 

 peas, cauliflowers, cabbages, onions, and carrots, are to be grown, leaving the 

 parts appropriated to asparagus, seakale, and rhubarb, for after-consideiation. 

 Above all, the fruit-tree borders, if they cannot be entirely renovated, should 

 only have one half of the old soil removed and replaced by fresh loam, having 

 previously made a good rubble bottom one foot deep, over which two feet 

 of the above compost should be placed for the trees. Many kinds of fruit- 

 trees may safely be lifted, if done carefully, and the roots laid in any spare 

 piece of ground while the borders ai-e being renewed, — more particularly 

 pears, plums, and apricots, which will grow on richer soils than the peach 

 and cherry," Thorough draining is indispensable in all these improvements 

 both in the garden and fruit borders. In the latter, intersecting surface-drains 

 are recommended for aerating the soil as well as for removing moisture, 



1 139. " Where it is found impracticable to remove any portion of the over- 

 rich earth, the next best thing is to employ those materials which are found by 

 practice to counteract soils containing superabundance of organic manures. 

 Lime is the best and the most readily procurable. A mixture of 64 bushels and' 

 2 cwt. of salt is a valuable compost for old gardens, and is suflBcient for one 

 acre. Superphosphate of lime mixed with a small quantity of nitrate of soda 

 is the next best ; but it is more expensive,. Both these applications should be 

 lorked in directly they are spread over the ground. A dressing of hot lime 

 given every third year, adding phosphate of guano occasionally, would be a 

 great improvement on stable-dung, no opportunity being lost of applying road- 

 scrapings and marl, or calcarious soil, where much manuring is necessary. 

 Liquid manure is a better material than stable manure for these gardens,, 

 as it is more easily taken up by plants ; and with chalk or lime occasionally 

 added, will tend to fomi a better and more productive soil, and one capable 

 of keeping in good heart for years, without the danger of getting over rich."' 



