Soils, Manures, &c. 53 



for some years past, when the operations of pruning, grafting, &c., are ended, instead 

 of suffering the rough branches to lie about, presenting an untidy appearance, to 

 collect them in a heap. A wall of turf, about three feet high, of a semi-circular 

 form, is then built round them. The branches are set on fire, and when about half 

 burnt down, seed-weeds, and such rubbish as collects in every garden and will not 

 readily decompose, are thrown on the top, and earth is gradually cast up as the fire 

 breaks through. 



During the first two or three days great care is requisite to keep the pile on fire. 

 Here is the point where many fail. They allow the flame to break through and 

 expend itself before the heap is thoroughly kindled. Constant watching is necessary 

 at this juncture. As the fire breaks through, the heap should be opened and a layer 

 of bushes and weeds should be added, and then a layer of earth. Follow up this 

 plan, and the fire will spread through the whole heap ; and any amount of earth may 

 be burnt, by continually adding to those places where the fire appears the strongest. 

 The soil burnt here is the stiffest loam that can be found within our limits, and 

 which is of rather a clayey nature ; also turf from the sides of ditches and roads, in 

 itself naturally sour and full of rank weeds. 



Burnt earth has been found beneficial in every instance where applied, and two or 

 three successive annual dressings of it have worked wonders on moist heavy soils. 



In the summer of 1842, six beds of Tea-scented Roses were manured with the 

 following substances : I, bone-dust ; 2, burnt earth ; 3, nitrate of soda ; 4, guano ; 5, 

 pigeon-dung ; and 6, stable manure thoroughly decomposed. The soil in which they 

 grew was an alluvial loam. The adjacent fields, which are of the same nature, grow 

 large crops of wheat and potatoes. The particles of the soil run together after rain, 

 presenting a smooth cemented surface, the soil in dry weather becomes hard and 

 harsh. But for the results. The guano produced the earliest visible effect, causing a 

 vigorous growth which continued till late in the season ; the foliage was large and of 

 the darkest green, but the flowers on this bed were not very abundant ; the shoots 

 did not ripen well, and were consequently much injured by frost during the succeed- 

 ing winter. The bed manured with burnt earth next forced itself into notice, the 

 plants kept up a steadier rate of growth, producing an abundance of clean well- 

 formed blossoms ; the wood ripened well, and sustained little or no injury from the 

 winter's frost. The results attending on the use of the other manures were not 

 remarkable ; they had acted as gentle stimulants, the nitrate of soda and bone-dust 

 least visibly so, although they were applied in the quantities usually recommended 

 by the vendors. 



The beds of Roses were all planted at the same date and in the same soil, and 

 there was no undue advantage given to any one kind of manure. The fertilising 

 influences of the burnt earth were no doubt due partly to its drying and opening the 

 soil, thus rendering it more permeable to the air, and partly to the power it possesses 



