AN ISLAND GARDEN 13 



till every change of wind and weather, of temper- 

 ature and climate, have so wrought upon it that 

 it becomes a fine, odorless, velvet-brown earth, 

 rich in all needful sustenance for almost all 

 plants, " well-rotted manure," the " Old Farm- 

 er's Almanac " calls it. But if there is no mine 

 of wealth such as this from which to draw, there 

 are many fertilizers, sold by all seed and plant 

 merchants, which will answer the purpose very 

 well. I have, however, never found anything to 

 equal barn manure as food for flowers, and if not 

 possible to obtain this in a state fit for immediate 

 use, it is best -to have several cart-loads taken 

 from the barn in autumn and piled in a heap near 

 the garden plot, there to remain all winter, till 

 rains and snows and cold and heat, all the powers 

 of the elements, have worked their will upon it, 

 and rendered it fit for use in the coming spring. 

 Many people make a compost heap, it is an 

 excellent thing to do, piling turf and dead 

 leaves and refuse together, and leaving it to slow 

 decay till it becomes a fine, rich, mellow earth. 

 In my case the barn manure has been more easily 

 obtained, and so I have used it always and with 

 complete success, but I have a compost heap also, 

 to use for plants which do not like barn manure. 

 As late as possible, before the ground freezes, 

 I dig up the single Dahlia tubers (there are no 

 double ones in my garden), and put them in 

 boxes filled with clean, dry sand, to keep in a 

 frost-free cellar till spring. I find Gladiolus bulbs, 

 Tulips, Lilies, and so forth, will keep perfectly well 

 in the ground through the winter at the Shoals. 



