CHAP. I. COMPOST. 21 



bullocks' dung, &c. If found to be too strong, it is easily 

 reduced by adding water at discretion. Dr. Lindley's maxim, 

 in the application of liquid manure, is that it should be " weak, 

 clear, and often." 



SOAP-SUDS. " These," says Dr. Lindley, " have an undoubted 

 value, because of their potash, irrespective of the animal matter 

 they contain. Upon Cabbages, Cauliflowers, and all the brassi- 

 caceous race, they produce an immediate and very advantageous 

 effect." 



Large quantities of soap-suds are daily thrown away, from all 

 houses nearly, which, with very little trouble, might be made 

 use of most advantageously for the kitchen-garden in the Cold 

 season : when the vegetable season is over, they might be 

 poured into the pit containing the garden refuse, stored up 

 for vegetable mould. The vegetable mould would be greatly 

 enriched thereby. 



Miss Maling observes : " I have found soap-suds a great thing 

 for pot-plants. I have even washed plants often with a flannel 

 and soap (common yellow soap), and my own belief is that few 

 things are better for keeping away all kinds of blight. Soap- 

 suds also are an available manure, and thus my own plants 

 often have received amazing benefit from the mere supply of 

 soap-suds."* By washing their leaves with warm soap-suds, 

 she further states, she has seen the Fig and often the Kose and 

 other trees restored from- a condition of sickliness to perfect 

 health and luxuriance. 



COMPOST. 



The following, not very different essentially from that I have 

 recommended for the Grape-vine, is from the MSS. notes ot 

 General Jenkins : 



t; 4 matmds of Kullee, well pounded. 

 1 maund of Ashes, sifted. 

 maund of Quicklime, sifted. 

 8 maimds of Cow-dung. 



Well mix in September and October, and bury in the ground, 

 and well water ; and in six weeks it will be ready to mix with 

 mould for the roots of plants." 



* ' The In-door Gardener,' p. 131. 



