SOILS AND CULTIVATION IN THE FLOWER GARDEN. 279 



to its extent, but the flower gardener, dealing with a much smaller 

 area, should never rest until he has got a deep as well as a good soil. 

 This is given to many by Nature in rich valley lands, and on such 

 happy soil the flower gardener's main work as regards the labours of 

 the soil is changing the crop now and then, with some modification 

 of the soil to suit certain plants. 



Where, owing to the dryness of the soil or subsoil, or to short- 

 ness of the rainfall, we have to resort to much artificial watering, it 

 is a great point to save the rain water as the 

 Soft water best, best of -all water, not only for household uses 

 but for plants. Next to it comes river water, 

 but to the gardens that want most water, rivers, unfortunately, 

 do not come, so that for garden use it would often be very wise 

 to do what people do more in other countries than ours, and 

 that is, save all the rain water we can instead of letting it run to waste 

 as it does so often. 



In our country, too, much thought and labour are given to 

 drainage in the flower garden, to the neglect of change of plants 

 and deep cultivation. During our hot summers 

 Drainage. some way to keep water in the beds is more 

 important than getting rid of it. Some soils are 

 in little need of artificial drainage, such as free sands, sandy loams, 

 chalky and limestone soils, and much ground lying high, and much 

 alluvial land. Houses are not usually built on bogs or marshy 

 land, and in the course of years the ground round most houses 

 has been made dry enough for use, and hence elaborate work in 

 drains, bottoming with brick-rubbish or concrete, is often wasted 

 labour. In some years even in the west country we may see plants 

 lying half-dead on the ground for want of water, and the same 

 plants in deep soil, and where no thought was given to drainage, 

 in perfect health at the same time. There are places where, owing 

 to excessive rainfall and the wet nature of the soil, we may have 

 to drain, but it is often overdone. 



Apart from the over-draining for ordinary garden things, it may 

 be well to remember that flower garden plants in our country are 

 often half-starved through drainage, like Phlox and scarlet Lobelia, 

 which in their own country are marsh plants, or inhabit the edges of 

 pools. In the southern country they simply refuse to show their true 

 character where the ground is drained in the usual way. 



Gardeners' land and farmers' land are usually wholly different. 

 Drainage is often the simplest and best way for the farmer to alter 

 the tilth and texture of saturated and cold or sour land, whereas the 

 flower gardener, dealing with a small space for his beds, has the power 

 of altering the tilth and texture of his land in a thorough way, and so 



