232 JOTTINGS OF A GENTLEMAN GARDENER 



season's leaves and the leaf-mould can be made into a 

 sloping heap till required for use. 



The second method is as follows : Collect the leaves in 

 a corner out of the wind, if possible, and when they are all 

 swept up for the winter, make a heap of them away from 

 tree roots. Lime may be sprinkled over them ; they should 

 be trodden as hard as possible, and covered with soil or 

 manure for a few months. This can then be raked off as 

 the leaves will have consolidated to a large extent. The 

 heap should be turned over frequently during the year, 

 lime being sprinkled on the material each time ; and after 

 turning, a little soil can be thrown over it again to prevent 

 its being blown about. By August of the following year 

 it should be fit for use. 



All leaves are by no means suitable for making leaf- 

 mould. Oak and Beech leaves are best, next come Elm 

 and Lime leaves. Poplar, Plane, Sycamore, Walnut, Ash, 

 and Chestnut leaves should not be used. They do not rot 

 into good material, and those of the Plane tree will hardly 

 rot at all. They should be burnt along with shrub leaves 

 and pine needles. 



Seaweed : In gardens near the coast, seaweed can be 

 used as a manure. In its fresh state it is unsuitable, but 

 if stored in open heaps for several months, it will rot into 

 a valuable material. It can then be dug, well buried, into 

 the flower borders or mixed with an equal bulk of rotted 

 stable dung. 



Another way is to mix the fresh seaweed with an equal 

 part of fresh fermenting stable dung and throw into a heap. 

 This should be well turned occasionally and in the course 

 of a month or so will form valuable manure. 



In conclusion I may add that in no case have I found 

 that vegetable manure increases soil pests or plant diseases. 

 Perhaps that may be because I do not use it in a fresh state. 

 The turning over, breaking up and mixing of the material 

 is most important ; if not done the use of vegetable humus 

 may be harmful. 



