1 60 Stirring the Soil. 



the lower leaves has a particularly bad effect on the rooting. 

 There is an exception, however, in those which have small close- 

 set leaves, such as the genera .Erica, BrumVz, &c. ; which, when 

 entirely surrounded with earth, soon begin to rot, and infect the 

 branch, and therefore the leaves should be removed from the 

 portion put into the earth. All decayed parts should be taken 

 carefully off; and woolly-haired cuttings should not be sprinkled, 

 for, as the moisture adheres to them for a long time, they are 

 very liable to rot. 



With these, and in general all plants liable to decay, the bell 

 is either placed within the edge of the pot, and the water 

 poui'ed between the two rims, by which sufficient moisture is 

 communicated to the pot; or a small unglazed pot, without a 

 hole at the bottom, filled with sand or mould, is plunged to the 

 rim in the middle of a larger pot ; the cuttings are then stuck 

 round the outer edge of this large pot, and the water is only 

 poured in the smaller pot, when as much moisture penetrates 

 through the sides of the pot as the cuttings require. 



( To be continued.) 



Akt. V. On stirring the Soil. By N. M. T. 



There are few operations of culture more beneficial than occa- 

 sionally stirring the soil to a greater depth than usual, and thereby 

 bringing into action a portion of fresh, or, as it is termed, maiden 

 soil. This being an every-day operation, may be supposed to be 

 so perfectly understood, as to render any remarks upon the sub- 

 ject unnecessary. I question, nevertheless, whether many of 

 our preconceived notions respecting it are not erroneous. It 

 must be admitted that trenching, or turning up a portion of fresh 

 soil, is highly beneficial to many crops upon most soils : this 

 being the case, it may be deemed of secondary importance to 

 enquire how, or by what means, that benefit is conferred ? Still, 

 in order to avoid the misapplication of this practice, it is truly 

 desirable the principles be understood, and that (as far as is prac- 

 ticable) things should be called by their proper names, which is 

 far from being the case with regard to the matter before us. 



Trenching is said to benefit the succeeding crop, by affording 

 the plants fresh soil to grow in, than which nothing can be more 

 incorrect ; as, in nine cases out of ten, the fresh soil so turned 

 up is incapable of growing plants at all; and plants that are 

 capable of penetrating so uncongenial a mass, in doing so 

 avoid all possible contact, and only show an increase of vigour 

 when their roots reach and spread in the exhausted and worn 

 out soil which the operation of trenching has placed beneath, in 



