SOILS AND CULTIVATION IN THE FLOWER GARDEN. 281 



to get rid of some of this rubbish, and, this being very near the 

 house, was a frequent nuisance. This is a common state of things, 

 but as wrong as it is unnecessary. We gain nothing by destroying 

 organic matter by fire, but lose a good deal and get only the ash. 

 The garden weeds, the good soil scraped up with them, and the 

 many other things that go to make up these rubbish heaps would 

 be of far more use put over young trees to protect and nourish 

 them. Refuse of hard materials, such as iron or delf, should 

 be buried separately ; and roots of bad weeds may be burned 

 at once where they are. Yet there is no practice more firmly 

 established than the ancient one of the garden rubbish heap, often 

 disfiguring spots which might be pretty with ferns or shrubs, 

 encouraging vermin, filth, and vile odours, all things that we do 

 not want in or near the flower garden or pleasure ground. 

 We may see these heaps made even where labour is scarce 

 and the gardener is over-weighted with work, adding to his 

 toil by barrowing or carting away weeds and earth. This means 

 moving the costly product two or more times: (i) to the rubbish 

 heap ; (2) turning over and burning ; and (3), finally, again removing 

 the result in ash ; when it might easily have been got rid of 

 at once by one move. It acts in a more useful way, even as 

 a fertiliser, than when we go through the ugly labours, pains, 

 and penalties of forming the regulation rubbish heap. This plan 

 does not in the least prevent us burning where burning is a 

 prompt aid in getting rid of the roots and bad weeds or any 

 worn-out branches or roots that incommode us ; but then we 

 burn on the spot and scatter the refuse there or thereabouts. 

 Here are a few instances of other ways of getting rid of what 

 usually is carried or carted to a rubbish heap, that were carried 

 out during one summer in my own garden : 



A very fine group of Hollies was planted on a slope facing 

 south. Seedling trees of the largest size that could be planted 



with safety were brought from a distance by 

 Protecting rail. These were planted in May, and after- 

 Hollies, wards any grass mowings, prunings, weeds, 



clearings, reeds, dead roots of shrubs, etc., that 

 happened to be near, were placed at the base of each Holly 

 for about 3 feet all round; also, where any ground near was 

 cleared of summer weeds these were also put over the roots, 

 even branchlets of evergreens being used, as preventing the direct 

 action of the sun. Not one of these Hollies was lost in spite of 

 the drought, though the turf near, on the same slope, was like 

 dust, but the covering of waste material given kept the earth 

 about the trees moist during the drought. 



