56 PRACTICAL FLORICULTURE. 



run it through a screen or sieve with a one or one and a 

 half inch mesh. If the loam is rather clayey, we use 

 more hops or manure ; if rather sandy, less than the pro- 

 portion named. From this mould-heap the soil is taken 

 from which all our plants are grown and flowered ; we 

 make no exceptions, unless in the case of the few fine- 

 rooting plants, such as Heaths, Ferns, Gloxinias, Cala- 

 diums, 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 Bouvar* 

 dias, Begonias, Carnations, Camellias, Chrysanthemums, 

 Daphnes, Dracenas, Dahlias, Fuchsias, Gazanias, Garde- 

 nias, Geraniums, Hyacinths, Liliums, Lan tanas, Petunias, 

 Pansies, Roses, Tuberoses, Violets, Verbenas, etc., etc. 

 Whether plants show vigorous growth under this univer- 

 sal application of soil to their varied natures, our thou- 

 sands 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 fifteen min- 

 utes' 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 compounds as by ours ; 

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

 and that the advice to use these combinations is bewil- 

 dering to the amateur, or inexperienced gardener, trouble- 

 some in its practice, and of no benefit whatever in its 

 results. In proof of this, I have, on many occasions, re- 



