34 PBACTICAL FLORICULTURE. 



Azaleas, Epacris, etc. In potting these, we use about 

 two-thirds of the decayed refuse hops, to one of loam; if 

 the hops are not attainable, leaf mould from the woods 

 will do, in lieu of the hops, for this purpose. Our general 

 mould heap supplies the soil, alike for Bouvardias, Be- 

 gonias, Carnations, Camellias, Chrysanthemums, Daphne, 

 Dracenas, Dahlias, Fuchsias, Ferns, Gazan ; as, Gardenias, 

 Geraniums, Hyacinths, Liliums, Lantanas, Petunias, Pan- 

 sies, Roses, Tuberoses, Violets, and Verbenas. Whether 

 plants show vigorous growth under this universal applica- 

 tion of soil to their varied natures, our hundreds of 

 patrons, who will be readers of this book, can attest. If 

 any of the disciples of the old school doubt this, let them 

 come and have ocular evidence of the fact. Our location 

 is within half an hour's walk (or 15 minutes' ride) of the 

 city of New York ; our gates and doors are always open ; 

 visitors are free to go and examine as they choose. They 

 will see our mould heap looming up like a miniature 

 mountain ; they will see hundreds of thousands of plants, 

 natives of every clime, deriving their luxuriant growth 

 from this one source. While ignoring the necessity of 

 special varieties of soil, for special families of plants, I do 

 not mean to say that plants may not be grown as well by 

 the use of such different compounds as by ours ; but I 

 claim, as a whole, they can be grown no better, and that 

 the advice to make use of these combinations is bewildering 

 to the amateur, or inexperienced gardener, troublesome in 

 its practice, and of no benefit whatever in its results. In 

 proof of this, I have, on different occasions, received 

 Camellias from half a dozen different growers in Phila- 

 delphia, hardly two of whom use the same soil, but all 

 grow them well. So in the vicinity of New York, where 

 the soil is varied at the different points, as much as soil 

 can be ; yet we see growers using very different compounds 

 with equally good results, showing, as has long ago been 

 satisfactory to me, that special soils have less to do with 



