(56 THE GREEN-HOUSE. [MAR. 



different plants. Also, dungs of various animals, 

 reduced to mould ; so as that they may readily be 

 commixed with other molds : with lime, chalk, or 

 marl ; fine sand, and small gravel, both free of earth. 

 And above all, vegetable earth of decayed tree- 

 leaves, perfectly decomposed ; which seems to be, 

 if not the primum mobile, the secundum mobile of ve- 

 getation*. 



It may safely be said, that any plant will live, and 

 that most plants will flourish, in a mixture of loam 

 and vegetable earth. The greater part of green-house 

 shrubs will do well in soil thus composed : three- 

 fourths brown loam, the sward of a pasture ; and 

 one-fourth vegetable mould ; to which add about a 

 twentieth part rough, clean sand, or small gravel. 

 In lieu of vegetable mould, use peat earth, without 

 sand or gravel, however, as there is always enough 

 of sand in it naturally. It is the best substitute for 

 vegetable mould of tree-leaves, for the bulk of green- 

 house plants ; particularly those from Botany Bay 

 and America. 



Though the greater part of the plants generally 

 kept in this compartment will do well in such com- 

 post as the above, yet there are many kinds that 

 thrive better in particular soils, a few of which I 

 shall here notice : 



Geraniums, in general, like a sound earth, that 



* The reader may see the method of preparing this earth, 

 by turning to the Forcing Garden, Section II., On Soils for 

 the Pine- Apple* 



