PROPAGATION. 263 



and rain. It matters but little what kind of 

 leaves are used ; they may be gathered indis- 

 criminately in the woods. 



About two weeks before making the bed the 

 leaves should be prepared as follows : make a 

 layer of leaves about two feet thick, of any con- 

 venient size, and just moisten them with water 

 from a watering pot, if they are dry ; they must 

 then be beaten down pretty firmly, and another 

 layer added, and treated in the same way. The 

 layers are repeated till the heap is finished, 

 when boards should be so laid on the top as to 

 shed rain. In from six to ten days the heap 

 will begin to warm. 



Having the materials all ready, the bed should 

 be started somewhere from the first to the mid- 

 dle of March, or even as late as the first of April. 

 Select a dry spot, where surface water will flow 

 off readily. Cart the leaves to the spot, and 

 proceed as follows: mark out the size of the 

 bed, which should run lengthwise east and west, 

 and be two or three feet wider than the frame ; 

 then spread a layer of leaves about a foot thick, 

 and beat them down firmly; if they are dry, 

 moisten them with warm water before beating 

 them down. Repeat layer after layer in the same 

 way, beating each one down firmly, till the bed 



