190 On enriching the Soil of Gardens. 



are hoed and earthed up, it imparts a very great degree of 

 vigour and luxuriance to their growth. 



But it is not the grass only that is converted to this useful 

 purpose. When the potatoes are dug, and the crop of peas 

 and beans gathered, the potatoe haulm, the pea and bean 

 haulm, the outer cabbage leaves and cabbage stalks, in 

 short, the whole vegetable refuse of the garden to a great 

 amount, is buried in its fresh and green state in the trenches, 

 and far more than repays the nourishment that has been 

 drawn from the ground. 



In the end of October, the asparagus beds are dressed for 

 the winter. The earth, to the depth of about five inches, is 

 first drawn into the alleys ; a vegetable coat of manure is 

 then spread over the whole bed ; and the earth from the 

 alleys thrown upon the top again. The weeds by this pro- 

 cess, are effectually destroyed, the bed is enriched, and the 

 plants preserved from the effects of the cold and frost. 



My strawberries are also planted in rows, or drills, and 

 in the months of October and November, have their narrow 

 intermediate trenches filled with the fallen leaves of the 

 trees, of which there is at that season a very plentiful supply. 

 Few plants profit more by this system than strawberries. 

 From the rapid manner in which they exhaust the vege- 

 table manure in the earth, they are observed to require fre- 

 quently a change of ground, that is, to be removed to a soil 

 where the vegetable manure has not yet been consumed. 



I will touch but briefly upon the advantages to be derived 

 from this system. 



Mould composed of vegetable substances which have 

 rotted and fermented in a heap, till their texture has been 



