OF THE PINE-APPLE. 309 



are the richest, and, of all others, the most suitable 

 for a garden. But this must only be understood 

 of leaves after they have undergone their ferment- 

 ation, which reduces them to a true vegetable 

 mould, in which we experimentally know that the 

 food of plants is contained ; — but whether that food 

 be oil, mucilage, or salt, or a combination of all three, 

 I leave to philosophers to determine. This black 

 mould, is, of all others, the most proper to mix 

 with compost-earth, and T use it in general for 

 Fines, and almost for all plants that grow in pots : 

 for flowers it is most excellent. The remainder of 

 this vegetable mould may be employed in manuring 

 the quarters of the kitchen-garden, for which 

 purpose it is highly useful. 



Leaves mixed with dung make excellent hot- 

 beds ; and I find that beds, compounded in this 

 manner, preserve their heat much longer than 

 when made entirely with dung. In both cases 

 the application of leaves will be a considerable 

 saving of dung, a circumstance very agreeable, as 

 it will be the means o£ preventing the contests 

 frequently observed, in large families, between the 

 superintendent of the garden and the directors o£ 

 the husbandry. 



if i - 5 



x 8 



