28 VEGETABLE GARDENING. 



well down, and covered with a thin layer of soil. 

 All available tree leaves and other materials of 

 manurial value should be added to the heap gradu- 

 ally during autumn and winter. It would be further 

 improved by the addition of soot and wood ashes, and 

 by utilising as far as possible house-slops and soap 

 suds, which should be thrown over the heap. 



The compost heap may be dug into the ground in 

 spring, or be held in reserve for manuring ground 

 that becomes vacant later in the season. An alter- 

 native is to retain the heap for a year and grow 

 vegetable marrows on it during the summer. These 

 succeed well when grown on a quantity of decayed 

 vegetable material of this sort. 



FERTILISERS. 



Lime and its Application. It has already been 

 stated that lime is a necessary constituent of all 

 fertile soils. It is also a necessary constituent of 

 plants, and these obtain it from the soil. Some of 

 the benefits to be derived from lime in the soil are : 

 (1) it promotes the decomposition of organic matter, 

 and assists in the liberation of plant foods ; (2) it 

 corrects acidity, sweetens the soil, and improves the 

 quality of growth ; (3) it hastens the processes of 

 nitrification; (4) it improves the physical character 

 of the soil; and (5) it reduces, and in some cases 

 eliminates, the danger from fungus diseases. 



Lime benefits the soil and the crops in other direc- 

 tions, and its good effects might be considerably en- 

 larged upon ; but enough has been said to show that 

 however well a soil may be manured in other re- 



