PRACTICAL GARDENING 



gardens but it is sometimes introduced. It is 

 a common mistake to think, because the soil 

 is black, that it is rich in plant food. Of 

 course, muck is rich in nitrogen because it is 

 almost whoUy made up of decayed and de- 

 caying vegetable matter which supplies avail- 

 able nitrogen if the soil is properly drained, 

 and cultivated ; but it lacks the other two neces- 

 sary chemicals, phosphoric acid and potash. 

 These, however, may be supplied as advised 

 in the following chapter. 



Muck soil is especially adapted to the cul- 

 ture of lettuce, onions, and celery. The three 

 principal practices to be considered in hand- 

 ling muck are to drain, to supply needed food, 

 and to cultivate frequently. 



The Compost Heap. Where plants are 

 started early in the spring in the greenhouse, 

 hotbed, or in pots or boxes in a simny window, 

 good soil is needed and this is usually hard to 

 get because of the weather. For seed, the 

 compost soil is not necessary, but for trans- 

 planting from the seed bed into pots, straw- 



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