350 Notes and Gleanings. 



Preparation of Soil for Flowers. — We take from Mr. Rand's new 

 book, " Seventy-five Flowers," the chapter on the preparation of the soil, which 

 will be found to answer many questions that puzzle beginners. The book 

 in question is published at the office of the Journal of Horticulture, and con- 

 tains much information of the highest value, especially to amateurs, for whom 

 it is particularly intended. 



" This is a subject upon which most works on horticulture contain much 

 needless mystery. 



The beginner, who has only a small plat for his garden, finds that 

 to grow a few flowers he must become proprietor of a peat meadow, a 

 sand bank, and a wood, or, at least, of a component part of each, in order 

 to supply himself with the necessary peat, sand, and leaf mould which the 

 authorities prescribe as necessary to the culture of the few flowers, which, in 

 his ignorance, he fancied could be easily raised in his garden. 



The result is, he is discouraged before making the attempt; regarding the 

 limited supply of time, money, and available land at his disposal altogether 

 insufficient for a pursuit which he fears will be a task rather than a pleasure, 

 a source of anxiety rather than a recreation. 



Now, peat, meadow mud, savanna, leaf mould, well-rotted turves and silver sand 

 are all-important ingredients in potting and in plant culture. They are even ne- 

 cessary to secure the best results in many cases ; but in general out-door garden- 

 ing, wjhile they may be useful in particular instances, they are not necessary, and 

 most flowers may be grown to perfection without any of them. 



It is true, all plants will not grow in the same soil ; but there are plenty that 

 will do well, and give full satisfaction in common garden soil. But what do we 

 mean by common garden soil ? Simply good black loam ; it varies much, — being 

 light or heavy as it approaches nearer to sand or clay respectively, — but it is the 

 common soil of our fields, and what we find in most gardens. It need not neces- 

 sarily be black ; in New Jersey it is red, and plants grow no less freely in it. 



In the pages of the present volume seventy-five genera of plants will be de- 

 scribed, and these, with very few exceptions, are such as will grow freely and 

 bloom well in common soil. 



The depth of the soil is, however, an important element of success. Many 

 plants root deep, and draw much of their nutriment from the subsoil ; therefore 

 to make this of good quality is necessary. Where only a few inches of loam 

 cover a subsoil of sand or gravel, the heat of summer will parch the ground, and 

 comparatively few plants will thrive. And again, where the subsoil is a heavy 

 clay, there is danger of too much moisture in winter and spring, and the plants 

 may suifer from rotting, or be thrown out of the ground by the frost, and perish. 



The best way to prepare a flower border is, to excavate the soil eighteen inches 

 to two feet in depth. If the subsoil is gravel, fill in a few inches of leaves, pine 

 needles, old straw, or any coarse litter, and then fill up the bed with good loam, 

 raising it slightly above the level of the surrounding ground, to allow for set- 

 tling, and that surface water may run off. 



If the subsoil is a close clay, fill in three inches of small stones or gravel, on 

 these lay a thin covering of leaves or litter, and then fill up with loam. 



