326 General Notices. 



A soil composed of two parts of rich friable turfy loam, and one part 

 turfy peat, freely mixed with silver sand and potsherds, broken rather small, 

 will suit this Daphne. The loam and peat should be carefully broken up 

 into rather small pieces, divested of all inert soil, and minutely intermixed 

 with the sand, &c. In potting, make the fresh soil rather firm about the 

 ball, and be especially careful to secure efficient drainage, as the plant 

 will not succeed if tliere is stagnant moisture at the roots, — ( Gard. Chron., 

 1852, p. 180.) 



Bedding Plants in Torf. — In establishments of ordinary magnitude 

 thousands of plants are generally required for embellishing the flower gar- 

 den during the summer months, and the manipulator is not unfrequently at 

 a loss to know what scheme to contrive to get pots equal to the demand. 

 Such has been my experience, and it has led me to employ turf as a substi- 

 tute, which {when it can be obtained) is an excellent material for the pur- 

 pose ; in fact, in point of economy it is very far preferable to pots. I do 

 not pretend to infer that pots can be entirely dispensed with, my object is 

 to show to a certain extent what may be done without their aid. Pots for 

 the purpose of which I treat, are only required for about two months out of 

 twelve, and if we can lessen the number required, and that too advan- 

 tageously as regards cultivation, so much the better. 



I find that plants in turf do not involve so much labor as they do in pots, 

 for if in the latter, in very dry weather they require watering every day, and 

 sometimes twice, whereas, if they are in turf, they only need it once a 

 week, the roots have more food at command, the temperature and humidity 

 of the bed being more uniform, and evaporation not so excessive as when 

 the roots are confined witiiin the narrow limits of small pots ; besides, when 

 plants that are in turf do require water, the watering can be effected 

 expeditiously with the rose of the watering-pot, but in the other case it 

 cannot, for some may and some may not require water at the same time. 



I have stated on a previous occasion that I propagate the greater portion 

 of my bedding stuff on my vinery border, covering the cuttings with the 

 portable tops of hand-glasses ; they are thoroughly watered when put in, 

 and the glasses are never moved (except to dry up superfluous moisture), 

 until the cuttings are well rooted ; directly the plants begin to grow, their 

 tops are pinched off to ensure a sturdy growth ; when in a moveable condi- 

 tion, I prepare pits and frames for their reception. In these I dispense 

 with artificial heat, by merely keeping the lights on and fully exposing the 

 surface to the warming influence of the sun's rays. Shallow turf-pits are 

 excellent for this purpose ; but if not naturally shallow, they are filled to 

 within 8 or 10 inches of the top with half decayed leaves used for winter- 

 forcing; these are made as solid as possible, and on them is laid an inch 

 or more of coal-ashes. These are indispensable, as they prevent the turf 

 from adhering to the subsoil, and render it capable of being taken out as 

 entire and cleanly as when first put in. The turf is cut into slips from 2i 

 to 3 inches in width, and laid on an even surface, with the grassy side 

 downwards. The whole surface being thus closely covered, small holes 

 are cut about 1 inch deep, and li inch in diameter, with an instrument I 



