VEGETABLE HUMUS 231 



manure is scarce, the opportunity of using them should 

 not be missed. They should be shot on to a piece of vacant 

 ground and the heap turned completely over, well breaking 

 up the lumps with a fork ; this is important. During 

 this process basic slag can be scattered over them. In 

 this way fine material will be obtained for digging in during 

 the winter. Use 4 cwt. per square rod. 



There are two other good ways of improving them. 

 The first is to soak them well with house slops, or to water 

 them with drainings from stables, cow sheds, etc., while 

 the heap is being turned over and broken up. The other 

 is to mix them with half, or their own bulk of semi-rotted 

 vegetable refuse. The mixture of spent hops and vegetable 

 refuse should be stacked in a heap, turned over once or twice, 

 and in a month or two will become fine manure for digging 

 in. Use 4-5 cwt. per square rod. 



Leaf- Mould : This is usually too precious to be dug 

 freely into flower borders, but is reserved for very choice 

 plants. It is largely used mixed with loam as a potting 

 soil. If, however, there is an ample supply it may be dug 

 into the top spit of flower borders during the winter or 

 spring, either alone, or mixed with an equal bulk of stable 

 dung. It can be applied at the rate of 3-4 cwt. per square 

 rod, and is useful on all soils except humic ones. 



Leaf-mould must, however, be well prepared, that con- 

 sisting of half-rotted leaves is not nearly so good, though 

 it may be mixed with dung or vegetable refuse and dug into 

 the second spit. 



There are several ways of making leaf-mould, of which 

 I give two. The first is to provide a pit at least 5 ft. deep, 

 the other measurements depending on the amount of leaves 

 to be treated. Shoot the leaves into this pit as they are 

 collected, sprinkling a little lime over them. Tread them 

 well and leave for about a year. Then remove the top few 

 inches first, to be returned to the pit, and dig out the other 

 material. Mix it well together, again sprinkling it with a 

 little lime unless it is to be used for hard-wooded shrubs such 

 as the Rhododendron. The pit is then ready for the next 



