24 EXAMINATION OP SOIL. [JAN. 



only dig and enrich it with decayed leaves ; but 

 if you have a clayey soil to contend with, as I 

 have in my garden, you must dig out the earth 

 to the depth of two feet, and put in a layer of 

 brick rubbish, or coarse gravel and stones, the 

 use of which is to drain off the water when 

 there is much wet : this is quite necessary ; 

 therefore do not omit to do so, or you will 

 probably lose the best plants in the winter: 

 this happened to me, because I was too impa- 

 tient to make my garden, and had no one to 

 give me advice about it. You, of course, know, 

 that most of the plants grown in our gardens 

 come from foreign countries, from countries that 

 are warmer than New England, and particularly 

 from places where there is less rain and snow. 

 If, during the winter, when the plants are in a 

 dormant state, the roots are too much soaked 

 with wet, they get mouldy, and rot, they are 



