32 PRACTICAL GARDENING. 



a greater "weight of outside leaves tlian there is in the heart, 

 — the enormous weight which porters have to bear, the ad- 

 ditional load the horses have to draw, the rubbish which the 

 retailers or the cooks have to get rid of, and which, while it 

 lies, is a nuisance ; and we think it might suggest a much 

 closer trimming than is usually given, and the use of the 

 trimmings on the soil. This, however, is matter for the 

 grower. The more there is of the crop returned to the earth, 

 the less has to be supplied in the way of manure. 



Waste of Fertilizing ]\Iaterial. — ^AYaste is no uncom- 

 mon thing ; large heaps of dung receive all the rain, washing 

 its juices through, and the moisture running down the gutters 

 and ditches as black as treacle, not only from the dung-yards 

 of market and gentlemen's gardens, but even those of large 

 farmers ; whereas this liquid, if suffered to diain into a tank, 

 would be invaluable. It would often bear ten times its quan- 

 tity of plain water, and form an excellent liquid manure, 

 although, if applied in its original state, it would be destruc- 

 tive on account of its extraordinary strength. All composts 

 should, on account of this operation of rain, be placed in 

 heaps, sloping enough to throw off the wet ; and manures of 

 all kinds that quickly absorb, and as rapidly give out moisture 

 — in short, everything that has any fertilizing qualities to 

 wash away, should be on a paved space, with drains running 

 to a common tank ; and a pump, or some other contrivance, 

 should be placed there to obtain the liquid as it is wanted. 



Experiments in Dressing Ground. — We are quite aware 

 that chemicals have been found useful, and that the scarcity 

 of ordinary dung has made farmers and gardeners look about 

 them for substitutes ; but chemicals should be used with great 

 caution, and never, if we can get that kind of manure which 

 suits all lands, and in particular what we know agrees with 

 that we are cultivating. All experiments should be tried on 

 a small scale, if at all. It is better, in general, to wait while 

 those who have plenty try new fancies, and see the result, 

 before we commit ourselves to any new practice. It may be 

 said, we are loitering on the road to science ; but it is better 

 to do that than to go too far, and havo to retrace our steps. 

 All we have to do is to follow in the distance — to keep those 

 who are advancing so rapidly within sight, if possible ; but 

 by no means to go with them until there is a beaten track, or 

 we have directions that we can depend on. Certain it is that 



