420 SATURDAY IN MY GARDEN 



with regard to the provision of suitable potting soils than his town- 

 dwelling colleague. He need never want for an adequate supply 

 of loam provided he lives near an old pasture or common. The 

 best loam is that obtained from the top spit the first layer of soil 

 beneath the turf and if permission to take this can be got 

 the basis of all good potting soils will have been secured. The 

 turf and soil procured in this way should be stacked grass down- 

 wards with a layer of manure between each layer of turf, and be 

 allowed to remain in the open air for several months before it is 

 brought into use. Then when it is wanted the face of the stack 

 should be chopped off and the soil will be found to be that choice, 

 rich fibrous loam in which the heart of the greenhouse owner 

 delights. As it is required the fibrous lumps can be torn to small 

 pieces with the fingers, and the crumbly residue be retained in a 

 separate box for seed-sowing. 



The country dweller need never be without an abundance of 

 leaf mould if he will take a little trouble to secure it. Fallen 

 leaves should be carefully collected in the autumn and placed 

 in a heap in a corner where they are fully exposed to the dis- 

 integrating influences of the atmosphere. The leaves will need to 

 be turned over once a month until they are thoroughly decayed, 

 and then be sifted through a coarse sieve, and those that are 

 still too large to go through the mesh be returned to the heap 

 to enable them to decay further. All leaves are not of equal 

 value in the making of good leaf mould. First in quality are 

 those of the oak, next the beech, and after these the elm and the 

 lime. 



Peat will be required for the cultivation of such plants as azaleas, 

 camellias, and the many varieties of heaths, while silver sand, 

 both coarse and fine, will be needed, especially in soil used for the 

 important operations of seed-sowing and propagation by means of 

 cuttings. River sand, where it can be obtained, is excellent for 

 these purposes, but failing this source of supply it will have to be 

 purchased at the florist's or the corn chandler's. 



A careful study of the nature and requirements of his plants 

 will tell the amateur in what proportions these ingredients should 



