572 THE GREEN-HOUSE [MAR. 



that the plants are in pots ; yet I think the begin- 

 ning or middle of March the most eligible time, and 

 shall therefore introduce the subject here. 



The reader is necessarily referred to Section III. 

 on the Construction of the Conservatory. It is sup- 

 posed the site of the house is naturally dry, or that 

 it has been rendered so by draining ; the pit and 

 borders being paved, or being floored in a complete 

 manner, by some kind of composition, so as to pre- 

 vent the roots of the plants from getting down to 

 bad soil ; and that the pit and borders are about 

 twenty inches or two feet in depth. 



The kind of soil I would recommend, of which 

 to fill the pit, and make up the borders, both inside 

 and outside, is, a perfectly homogeneous composition 

 of, three-fourths brown loam, the fresh sward of a 

 pasture ; and one-fourth vegetable earth of decayed 

 tree-leaves. If the loam be very fine, and be free 

 from small stones or gravel, it will be advisable to 

 add a considerable proportion of smallish gravel or 

 very coarse sand, perhaps a twentieth or a thirtieth 

 part ; but if the loam be pretty stony, this will be 

 unnecessary. Large stones, however, should be se- 

 parated from the soil ; retaining none bigger than a 

 pigeon's egg or so. 



Such a soil will answer most of the plants that 

 should be placed in this compartment ; but partial 

 spots may be formed for certain kinds, by making 

 pits or holes suitable to their sizes, and filling 

 them with proper composts, respectively for the 

 plants, according to their natures. See some hints 

 on this subject, above, in the article Composts for 

 Green-house Plants. 



