ARTIFICIAL SOILS. 1 19 



been growing for a long time, and, putting it in another 

 pot, attempt to make another plant grow in it, we shall 

 fail. The second plant refuses to grow in that old 

 soil, for it is completely worn out. The first plant has 

 taken all it could find, and there is nothing left but 

 barren sand and waste matter. 



If our geranium is to thrive and grow, we must have 

 a light and a rich soil. It must be light, sandy, and 

 porous, because we cannot till the soil in a pot. The 

 best we can do is to occasionally stir the surface to 

 let in the air. It must be sandy, to permit water to 

 flow through it easily, and the roots of the soil to find 

 their way without difficulty. It must be rich, because 

 we have only a very small space in which the plant can 

 grow. Its roots cannot extend freely in every direc- 

 tion in search of food, and all that it requires must be 

 abundant and in easy reach. 



Three materials are needed to make potting soils 

 for all the common, quick-growing greenhouse plants, 

 fruits, and vegetables ; and with one more we can 

 make soils suitable for every plant that grows under 

 glass. We will begin with the soil for the quick- 

 growing or soft-wooded plants, as they are the most 

 numerous, the geraniums, fuchsias, primroses, roses, 

 begonias, chrysanthemums, etc. For the organic 

 matter we can take sods cut from a pasture or grass- 

 land. These must be cut when green, and piled up 

 in a heap in some dry spot out of doors, that is, 

 away from swampy or wet soil. In about three months 

 the grass, plants, and roots will completely decay, and 



