104 



there is no necessity to add so many enriching ma- 

 terials to the compost, in the shape of manures. For, 

 be it understood, that these, in decomposing, are 

 more liable to fitful and pernicious extremes than 

 mere soils. Manures, therefore, are not to be relied 

 on as to their texture in this affair, and the preserva- 

 tion of a proper texture is a question of paramount 

 importance. We would here urge a reliance, for the 

 most part, on chopped turf, which, combined with a 

 system of liquid manuring, will be found equal to 

 any complicated compost. However, if manure be 

 used, let it be a mixture of horse and cow droppings, 

 in a half decomposed state, adding thereto half rotten 

 leaves; these, when blended, may form about a 

 fourth of the mass. Let not, however, boiled bone 

 and charcoal be forgotten. The charcoal made by 

 some gardeners is probably superior, for this purpose, 

 to the best charcoal, being, for the most part, of an 

 intermediate character, between charcoal and mere 

 wood ashes. 



We must here be permitted to revert to the cha- 

 racter of the loamy turf. If this be procured in 

 March, when dry, and piled up in an outhouse or 

 shed, it will be what gardeners term "mellow" in 

 the October following, and chopped down small with 

 the spade, without riddling, will be in excellent order 

 for this purpose. 



We now come to the last consideration, viz., 



