THE CARNATION. 43 



nures as take a longer time to prepare them, before 

 they can be used as compost for delicate flowers. 

 Night-soil requires a constant exposure for two years, 

 to get rid of its strong sulphuric acid ; soap-boiler's 

 lye, to neutralize its powerful alkaline salt ; sugar- 

 baker's scum, to divest it of its predominant saccha- 

 rine property ; and cow-dung, to correct its crude ace- 

 tous quality. 



Wood-shavings, when rotten and decayed, saw- 

 dust, tan, the bark and small branches of trees in 

 general, lying any length of time, acquire this carbo- 

 naceous principle, and make a good ingredient in 

 compost for many plants, the Auricula in particular. 

 It is this coaly property that gives the dark-brown 

 discolouring to water, and of which soot and ashes 

 may be said to contain the very essence. 



LEAF-MOULD, ITS USES AND MODE OF 

 PREPARING. 



LEAF-MOULD is the finest and most valuable of all 

 the artificial soils, and is used by the skilful gardener 



