UNIVERSITY 



APPENDIX. ^!*Ste 



light, or wheeled into the middle of the room at night, when, the 

 weather is severe. 



COMPOST FOR PLANTS. 



The most important requisite, for the successful cultivation of 

 plants, is to have a stock of suitable compost for various plants, 

 to pot them in, when that operation is performed. A plant in 

 unsuitable mould cannot be healthy. The following materials 

 should be obtained : 



1. Good garden mould. 



2. Mould from decayed turf, from a pasture or field. 



3. Mould from decayed leaves. 



4. Decomposed stable or cow-yard manure. 



5. Sea or river sand. 



6. Peat, from the meadows, that has been exposed to frost. 



7. Coarse sand or gravel. 



8. Broken flower-pots, charcoal, or oyster-shells. 



9. Old mortar, or plastering. 



Garden mould will not be needed if there is a supply of fine 

 decayed turf mould, and will be wanted only in case of neces- 

 sity. Turf mould, for a 'basis, is probably the best ingredient for 

 a compost for plants. The broken pots, charcoal, &c., are used 

 for drainage, to be placed in the bottom of the pot at the time of 

 potting ; about one-fifth of the depth of the pot may be filled 

 with it when broken up. A little meadow moss over this will 

 prevent the mould from leeching down. 



Leaf mould is not always to be obtained ; but it is a precious 

 ingredient in a compost, and many plants thrive much better in 

 it than in anything else. It takes a long time to decompose 

 leaves so as to be suitable for compost. 



To have compost in perfection, the different ingredients should 

 be mixed in advance of the time wanted ; for instance, in the 

 spring. They should be thoroughly mixed together, and put 

 in heaps in the shado or under cover, and turned over every five 

 or six weeks during the summer, as it will be wanted in August 

 or September, when the plants are repotted. 



