CUT FLOWERS UNDER GLASS 



79 



WHAT SOIL TO USE 



The soil should be procured in the autumn 

 before the planting season, in August or Sep- 

 tember, so that the winter may act upon it. 

 By preference get soil from an old pasture 

 that has not been cultivated for many years. 

 A heavy loam from grass land that has been 

 regularly grazed is the ideal basis of the com- 

 post heap for roses. A good, tough sod full 

 of roots is to be sought. It is not the grass 

 tops which the rose grower seeks, but the 

 fibrous mass of root below. Having the 

 soil, stack it just before winter in proportion 

 of three parts soil to one of cow manure, 

 layer upon layer, in a mound of convenient 

 height- — about five feet; it must not be too 

 high nor too broad for the frost to penetrate. 

 Let it remain here without any cover till 

 spring. In this composting fresh manure 

 can be used, but if the manure is added at the 

 time the soil is chopped down in the spring, 

 it must have been thoroughly rotted previ- 

 ously. 



As soon as the weather in spring is "open" 

 and the soil sufficiently dried out to be worked, 

 the whole heap should be turned and allowed 



