I5S 



sandy, a considerable portion of it should be 

 used in the composts intended for the produc- 

 tions of that country, both of woody, her- 

 baceous, and bulbous species. 



Pit sand should be invariably preferred for 

 this purpose, it being of a more lively vegetat- 

 ing nature than river or sea sand, and if we 

 may judge by colour, the whitest that can be 

 procured ; as I have always observed it to be 

 the finest, and have from repeated trials proved 

 that the finer the sand, the surer a good crop 

 of cuttings. 



It requires no kind of preparatory process, 

 more than sifting, to divest it of those small 

 pebbles, &c. which are universally found 

 among it, and to be kept pure and unmixed 

 with extraneous substances, until wanted for 

 use. 



, ( By vegetable mould, at least the kind best 

 suited to our purpose, is meant that which ac- 

 cumulates, or in a manner grows, if I may use 

 the expression, in woods, particularly those of a 

 long standing, by the annual fall of leaves, &c. 

 and their consequent decay; the vicissitudes 

 of a few revolving seasons reduce them to a 

 perfect mould, which is afterwards known by 

 the above appellation. It is of a very loose, 

 light nature, and comparatively rich, but far 

 behind that produced by the mixture of animal 

 excrement. Yet it is doubtless of an amelior- 



