734 GARDEN MANAGEMENT. 



Every year the collected surface-soot should be bui-ied by trenchmg about 

 18 inches deep, and a good dressing of manure be worked in to renovate the 

 soil. 



§ 10. — American Plants and Cape Bulbs. 



22SS. It was long thought that American plants, as the rhododendrons, 

 azaleas, kalmias, ledums, andromedas, and daphnes as are generally termed, 

 would only grow properly in bog-earth. The success with which they bloom, 

 even in a stiff unmanageable clay, has long dispelled this notion. Mr. 

 Erriugton has also aided in introducing a less pedantic style of growing 

 these beautiful ornaments of the shrubbery. " In consequence of some alter- 

 ations at Oulton Park," he says, " an old rubbish-yard had to be turned into 

 the ornamental portion of the grounds, and an elevated mound of American 

 shi-ubs planted on the site. The first proceeding was to burn, or rather char, 

 the decayed vegetable matter in the yard, and throw the ground into shape ; 

 and a coating of coarse clayey matter happening to be the nearest com- 

 modity, was spread over the surface a foot thick. Next we applied several 

 loads of leaf-mould, and, finally, three inches of fine heath-soil from Delamere 

 Forest. All these materials were thoroughly blended together to a con- 

 siderable depth, the raw and ur decomposed rubbish, as it came up again, 

 being buried in the bottom of the trench. On the mound thus raised the 

 shrubs were planted, and nothing can exceed their robustness. The ericas, 

 especially, exceed all I have ever seen, from the admixture of the clay mth 

 heath and leaf-mould." 



2289. The materials, with their proportions, stand nearly as follows :— 

 Sand one part, clayey subsoil matter two parts, decomposed vegetable matter 

 two parts, undecomposed vegetable matter five parts. " At the bottom of all 

 this there stiU remained a quantity of rubbish and raw vegetable matter, 

 which the roots of the more vigorous plants will reach, and find food in 

 abundance in due time." 



2290. The following materials, to abbreviate Mr. Errington's papers, all of 

 them within the reach of most persons, may be made to form a compost 

 adapted' to the culture of American plants :—Kotted leaves, spent tan, saw- 

 dust, old thatch or straw, weeds, grass-mowings, and vegetable refuse of all 

 kinds, — old manure, even the bottoms of old wood-stacks. Any or all of these 

 in a decomposed state, blended with a certain proportion of garden soil, 

 may be rendered fit to grow American plants ; but as it is the character ol 

 all decomposed vegetable matter fit to enter rapidly into the composition of 

 the vegetable fabric, to subside rapidly, this must be guarded against by 

 employing also such organic matter as tree-leaves, lumps of peat, peaty turf, 

 or other vegetable matter, which will take long before decay takes place. 

 Where old tan or saw-dust is liberally used, the leaves should be fresh, those 

 which have been used as linings for hotbeds by preference, from their tendency 

 to mass together. Old thatch or litter forms an excellent basis for the whole 



