566 THE GREEN-HOUSE [mAR^ 



different plants. Also, dungs of various animals, 

 reduced to mould ; so as that they may readily be 

 commixed with other moulds ; with lime, chalk, or 

 anarl; fine sand, and small gravel, both free of earth. 

 And above all, vegetable earth of decayed tree- 

 leaves, perfectly decomposed ; which seems to be, 

 if not the primum mobile^ the secundum mobile of ve- 

 getation. * 



It may safely be said, that any plant will live, and 

 that most plants will flourish, in a mixture of loam 

 and vegetable earth. The greater part of green- 

 house shrubs w^ill do well in soil thus composed % 

 three-fourths brown loam, the sward of a pasture ; 

 and one-fourth vegetable mould ; to which add about 

 a, twentieth part rough, clean sand, or small gravel. 

 In lieu of vegetable mould, use peat earth, without 

 sand or gravel, however, as there is always enough 

 of sand in it naturally. It is the best substitute for 

 vegetable mould of tree-leaves, for the bulk of green- 

 house plants ; particularly those from Botany-bay 

 and America. 



Though the greater part of the plants generally 

 kept in this compartment will do well in such com- 

 post as the above ; yet there are many kinds that 

 thrive better in pai'ticular soils, a few of which I 

 shall here notice. 



Geraniums, in general, like a sound earth, that 



* The reader may see the method of preparing this earthy 

 by turning to the Forcing Garden, Section IL, On Soils Jbr 

 the PinC" Apple. 



