156 PRACTICAL GARDENING. 



tions good to land of all sorts ; such as all vegetable mould, 

 and even green vegetables, wood ashes, or ashes of the burnt 

 weeds and waste of a garden ; cow, horse, sheep, and rabbits' 

 dung. These matters are rarely given in excess, for it is 

 natural to the earth to receive the dung of animals, and it is 

 almost impossible to hurt anything by excess ; whereas of 

 unnatural or artificial manure it would be very easy to do 

 mischief. It may, however, be concluded that the ground 

 must be got to a proper texture before we can do much good 

 with it. If stiff, by lightening it ; if light and sandy, by 

 marling it ; if wet and swampy, by draining it ; for inde- 

 pendently of the nourishment it may contain, in soil too 

 light it washes away, in soil too heaA^y the plants cannot take 

 all the advantage of it ; besides which, the unpleasantness of 

 digging, hoeing, trenching, raking, planting, and indeed every 

 operation connected with its culture, renders all the labour 

 double, and the benefit derived from it only half what it 

 should be. These general directions for light and stiff lands 

 will do aU that is wanted for ordinary gardens. 



geowi:n"g plajn-ts in pots. 



It would be an endless task to point out the numerous 

 advantages of growing certain plants in pots ; but some of 

 the chief may be mentioned, because they affect so much of 

 our design in practical gardening. 



First, then, we may mention the opportunity it gives us to 

 remove them at pleasure from one place to another, whether 

 it be to change the temperature or treatment, or to exhibit 

 them at a distance, or to place them in situations to bloom, 

 or to exchange those past their prime for others just coming 

 to perfection, or to rest them when not wanted to grow, or 

 urge them when we desire to force them on. 



Secondly, it enables us to imitate any kind of soil adapted 

 to their different natures, although they may be growing all 

 in one place. 



Thirdly, it gives us the option of starving them, to check 

 their exuberance, by giving them less water and stinting them 

 for room, or exciting them by giving plenty of both soil and 

 moisture. 



Fourthly, it affords every facility for examining the roots. 



