SOILS AND POTTING. 109 



of meeting the natural Avants of his soiL He may add clay, but 

 will not if he finds he can succeed without it, and he is almost 

 sure to do so. 



Take Azaleas. It used to be, and is yet in some places, con- 

 sidered necessary to import English peat in order to be success- 

 ful with them. Ninety per cent of these beautiful hard-wooded 

 plants are still grown in peaty soil in England. Nothing succeeds 

 like success there as well as here, even though it be arbitration ! 

 If an English gardenerg rows good Azaleas in peaty soil he is 

 not likely to change his practice. Ocular demonstration cannot 

 be overcome, and if we will not be convinced by any other argu- 

 ment we must be by this. For instance, take a look at the 

 Azaleas grown by Mr. Charles Sanders, gardener for Professor 

 C. S. Sargent, of Brookline, and you will see that Azaleas can be 

 grown in a soil almost Avholly lacking peat. 



This brings us to another part of the subject. The successful 

 cultivator of plants finds there are other considerations almost as 

 important as the soil and its consistency. I have tried all kinds 

 of soil for Gloxinias, consulting this and that formula. I potted 

 them in light soil, heavy soil, rich and poor, all to little advan- 

 tage. With these handsome tuberous-rooted plants much depends 

 on caring for the tubers during what is called the resting season, 

 though they are never absolutely at rest and we make a mistake 

 when we enforce it by removing the tubers from the soil in which 

 they have been growing and storing them in dry sand, as is fre- 

 quently the practice. They should never become thoroughly dry, 

 for living roots will at all times be found, and these require some 

 nourishment. It is important that we should start with sound, 

 healthy roots, start them slowly by withholding water until some 

 leaf growth is made, and at all times keep them near the light, 

 though not in direct sunlight. If we attend to these essential 

 conditions we shall find that Gloxinias succeed in almost any 

 soil. Peat soil may be necessary for some Ferns, but almost all 

 of them will thrive as well in good loam and leaf soil. 



It may surprise you to know that I have but one compost heap, 

 and that is seldom as good as I should like to have it. Good 

 turfy loam is not as plentiful as I could wish, and though it is 

 really the best, some of us have found out how to get along with- 

 out it. The old country carnation growers are extremely careful 

 when mixing their potting soil — a barrow full of this and that 



