70 THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



woods ; these two arc light without substance, and generally poor. 

 Portions of them might be useful mixed with other soils if done by an 

 experienced hand. I am aware tha,t it is very difficult in cities to pro- 

 cure suitable soil, but some trouble must be experienced if you expect 

 to be successful. Then instead of going to the woods or swamp, go to 

 some old pasture, or place where you can find a nice pliable loam. 

 Procure this soil some months before you require to use it, mixing with 

 half rotted manure and one -fourth clear warm sand (avoid cold, stoney 

 sand), and put it away in some corner or cask. Turn it over a few 

 times before using, and mix it as well as possible, Never use stiff 

 clay soil. Make your compost so that it will not bind in the pots, and 

 let the soil be clean and free from coal ashes and such like. 



No difficulty need be experienced in the country with respect to 

 soil. Take a. load or two of turf two inclies deep from some old 

 pasture, in the corner where cattle lay down at night, and pile it up, 

 adding between the layers of turf as much rotten manure. This should 

 be done twelve months or more before wanted. As much can be made 

 at one time as will serve for a number of years. After lying for four 

 or five months, slice the heap downwa,rds as thin as possible with a 

 spade, and gather compactly into the heap again, exposing as little of 

 the turfy substance as possible. Add sand to this as before directed, 

 so as to make the soil nice and free to handle. Never put the heap 

 where leaves will drop upon it. There is also danger of the soil being 

 too light, in which case the plants will grow, but the flowers will be 

 few, small and of little show. Soil, then, is one great point of success, 

 and if you have good soil other difficulties will be easier to overcome, 

 and will well repay your extra trouble. 



Potting is another thing of gTeat importance, and should be attended 

 to with great care. I will describe the mode of potting so simply that 

 no one can make a mistake. Wash the pots if they have been in use 

 before, no matter how clean they may look, as insect life may be 

 lurking about that will soon find out your plants when they are taken 

 into the house. By doing this you ma}^ save yourself much trouble. 

 After washing the pots let them dry, and then place a piece of broken 

 pot to well cover the hole in the bottom. Now break a lot of pieces 

 of old pot as small as ten cent pieces ; into a five inch pot put one and 

 a half inches of these; more in larger ones. Over this place some fibre 

 or moss, to prevent earth getting in through the drainage. Have the 



