40 



rials, it renders the soil " open/' and thus effectually 

 favours the free passage of water through its mass : 

 secondly, it serves as a perpetual reservoir of moisture 

 in the soil, for in consequence of its being extremely 

 porous, it imbibes a great quantity of water, by its force 

 of attraction, and this it parts with slowly to the soil ; in 

 this way, there is no doubt that its action is most salu- 

 tary. Probably a few pieces of charcoal placed perpen- 

 dicularly in the soil, and kept continually wet, by the 

 action of some little capillary contrivance, would serve as 

 the best possible means of conducting moisture, and dis- 

 tributing it to the roots of plants. 



It will be observed that the application of dung, in 

 any way whatever, has not been recommended ; neither 

 do I consider it to be at all requisite, or desirable, in the 

 culture of winter Cucumbers : luxuriance is not a con- 

 summation which it is at all desirable to attain to, a 

 moderate, well matured growth, being far preferable; 

 and as some care is supposed to be used to provide suit- 

 able soil, it should be of such a nature as to possess the 

 properties, which are requisite to effect the desired end. 

 Dung containing as it does fertilizing properties, may do 

 well to renew the fertility of exhausted soils, which may 

 have been under a long course of cultivation ; but it is 

 questionable, whether it ought to be admissable to any 

 extent in pot culture, or in the growth of forced plants, 

 in preference to a supply of wholesome unexhausted 

 natural soil. 



A very great objection to the use of dung when applied 

 in a solid state in the composition of soils, consists, in its 

 being presented to the roots of plants, not only in the 

 advanced periods of their existence, but equally so, dur- 

 ing the early stages of their growth ; here must be an 

 error, for infants, whether they belong to the animal or 

 vegetable kingdom, are certainly not capacitated to appro- 

 priate the same kind of food, in the same proportion, as 



