8 THE AMATEURS’ GUIDE 
the earth, in search of food, to the depth of two feet or more, pro- 
vided the nature of the soil will permit them. If avoidable, never 
make a garden on land whose bottom is of a wet or springy na- 
ture. If this precaution be taken, drainage will be unnecessary. 
When a garden is properly prepared for the growth of plants by 
trenching, manuring, and digging, it is brought into such a porus 
temperament that the rains pass through the soil without being 
detained longer than necessary. If the soil of the garden be of 
too strong a nature, it should be well incorporated with sand or 
the scrapings of gutters, streets, &c. 
PREPARATION OF MANURE. 
The term manure is indiscriminately applied to all substances 
which are known from experience either to enrich the different 
soils or contribute in any other way to render them more favorable 
to vegetation. These may be reduced to light sandy loam from 
commons, peat-earth from the surface of marshes, vegetable-earth 
from decayed leaves or stalks, sand, lime-rubbish, ashes, soot, 
stable manure, &. There are no known garden plants that will 
not grow and thrive in one or the other of these earths, alone or 
mixed. Nurserymen seldom use more than three kinds, viz: 
Loam, peat, and well-rotted stable manure. With these, they 
continue to grow thousands of different species of plants in as 
great or greater perfection as their native countries, and many in 
& superior manner. 
The preparation of composts for general enrichment consists in 
collecting in the spring each soil in separate heaps, thoroughly 
mixing them together, and turning them every month until the 
whole become well incorporated together. After fermentation has 
taken place they are fit for use and may be applied to the garden. 
In all composts in which manure is a component part, one year 
at least should be allowed for decomposition, and what is termed 
sweetening, before applied to delicate flowers, especially bulbs. 
