CHAPTER XXIX. 



SOIL, MANURES AND WATERING. 



Brief allusions have several times been made to the 

 preparation of soil for various greenhouse crops, but a 

 few words in a general way may not be amiss. 



In the past, there has been great mystery thrown 

 over the preparation of potting soil by the florist of the 

 old school, whose recipes have been as exact and as com- 

 plex as the physician's prescription. To-day, however, 

 the veil has been thrown back, and the whole matter has 

 been found to be simplicity itself. The materials that 

 form the basis of the potting soil for nearly all green- 

 house plants, are rotten pasture sods and cow, horse, or 

 sheep manure, in the proportion of one of the latter to 

 from two to five of the former. The sods should be cut 

 in the spring or fall, several months before the soil will 

 be needed, and should be obtained if possible from an 

 old pasture that has a thick fibrous turf, the slice being 

 made from two to four inches thick, according to the 

 thickness of the sod. They should be piled up and 

 decomposed manure added, using a layer of manure tc 

 two or three layers of sods. If the sods come from a 

 clay soil, the addition of sharp sand will be of benefit 

 and, for most crops, a portion at least of the manure 

 should come from the horse stable. On the other hand, 

 if the turf contains more or less sand, cow manure will 

 be preferable and, if from a very light soil, the addition 

 of a very small quantity of clay loam will be of value. 

 As a rule, however, when the turf can be obtained from 

 a moderately heavy, sandy loam soil, the addition of the 



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