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XLVI. On enriching the Soil of Gardens by fresh vegetable 

 Manure. In a Letter to Thomas Andrew Knight, Esq. 

 President. By the Rev. James Venables. 



Read January 2, 1816. 



Sir, 



I am induced, from your knowledge and love of Horticulture, 

 to submit to your consideration, and to that of the Society, 

 over which you preside, an experiment for the purpose of 

 enriching the soil of a kitchen garden, without the aid of 

 animal manure. 



The cabbages, cauliflowers, brocoli, potatoes, peas, beans, 

 &c, are planted in my garden, as in most others, in straight 

 rows, or drills. Before the gardener mows the lawn and 

 pleasure ground, he is directed to open a trench between 

 these drills as wide as the space will admit without injury 

 to the vegetables growing in the rows, and about nine inches 

 in depth. The short grass mown upon the lawn is then car- 

 ried into the trench, and trodden closely down till it is full, 

 and the earth which had been removed, is again thrown 

 upon it and the ground raked smooth and even. 



Every time the lawn and walks are mown, the same 

 course is followed, till the whole kitchen garden is regularly 

 and successively enriched with the most excellent vegetable 

 manure. In a very few weeks, the short grass buried be- 

 neath the surface is decomposed, and incorporates with the 

 earth ; and where the peas and beans, and other vegetables 



