SOIL FOR GREENHOUSES 193 



162. Leaf -mold. Every range should utilize the 

 leaves from the trees if there be any on the place. Leaves 

 should not be burned, for it means a loss of valuable nitro- 

 gen. If there are shrubs to be protected, the leaves should 

 be raked about them and covered with boards. In the 

 spring, the leaves when removed from the shrubs should 

 be piled while damp near the compost heap, again covered 

 with boards, and allowed to decay as rapidly as possible. 

 If turned occasionally during the summer, they should be 

 decayed sufficiently so they may be thoroughly incorpo- 

 rated with potting soil in the fall or early winter. This 

 leaf-mold is exceedingly valuable for plant food, for it 

 renders nitrogenous food materials gradually available 

 for plants, so that delicate roots are less liable to injury 

 than from feeding on more actively decaying fertilizers. 



