30 PRACTICAL GARDENING. 



such land produce heavy crops of subjects requiring strength 

 of soil, as there is to make any of the many great changes 

 that land requires. The nature of the soil may be appreciated 

 when we say, that if a tree twenty feet high had to be re- 

 moved from peat soil land, and a lump of half a ton were cut 

 round and cut under so as to release it from the rest, the 

 lifting of the tree would bring all the lump of soil with it, 

 even if it were a solid lump three feet all round it ; the small 

 wandering roots of the plant reachina perhaps two-thirds of 

 the way through it, and the mass of fibres holding it together. 

 This quality is not only invaluable for growing such plants, 

 but also for its tenacity in holding together enough to sustain 

 them on their removal, even if they were not replanted for a 

 considerable time, and also to support them occasionally, 

 a season or two when turned out into very unfavourable soil 



Turfs to form Compost. — Turfs cut from a pasture not 

 more than two or three inches thick, and laid together to rot 

 a year or two, form the best compost for flowers or vegetables 

 that can be found ; and although extravagant to use for com- 

 mon purposes, should always be provided if possible. If they 

 are cut from a waste, or from the road side, or from hungry 

 commons, they should be cut thinner for the sake of keeping 

 up their quahty ; but the best rule is to cut thick enough to 

 take in all the roots and fibres, which, on good land, perhaps 

 go down three inches, but in bad hungry soil perhaps do not 

 reach two. Xo opportunity should be lost ; whenever they 

 can be had they should be obtained. It is an unequalled 

 dressing for poor land that wants heart. The difference as to 

 the thickness of cutting must be settled by the hold the grass 

 has of the land ; gravelly soils suggest a very thin cutting 

 under any circumstances. These have only to be piled in 

 heaps, and allowed to stand tiU the grass and fibre have rotted 

 into mould. 



The top Spit op a Pasture is generally good loam, and 

 ranks next to the turf cut as we have proposed. The larger 

 proportions of loam, if taken deep, lessen the value in this 

 respect only, — there cannot be so much of the turf and fibre 

 rotted in the quantity, and therefore it is so much the worse 

 in point of richness. Always get some of this if you can ; it 

 is really useful soil with good heart in it, and wiU improve 

 any land ; for as the thicker the cultivable soil on any place 

 is, the better it is ; therefore it may be taken as a general rule. 



