GREEN-HOUSE AND CONSERVATOR 



989 



ficient distance from the house ; the whole surface of the bottom 

 of the intended borders should be laid, to the depth of fifteen 

 or eighteen inches, with brick-bats, flints, or broken fragments 

 of stone, and, in placing them, they should be laid as hollow 

 as possible, and level upon the surface. 



Over this stratum of drainage should be placed one foot ot 

 turf cut from a heath or pasture, the soil being light and sandy, 

 or if of what is called heath-mould, so much the better ; this 

 turf should be cut to the thickness of four or five inches each, 

 and when used, placed with the green side undermost regu- 

 larly over the stratum of drainage. Upon this should be 

 placed the mould of which the borders are to be formed, to 

 the height of six or eight inches more than what is intended 

 for the ultimate height of the border, to allow for its sinking 

 or settling. 



COMPOST FOR THE BORDERS. 



It would be inconvenient and almost useless to attempt the 

 formation of various soils or composts for the different plants 

 which are cultivated in these structures. It is true that some 

 few species, which it might be desirable to introduce into the 

 conservatory, require soils peculiar almost to themselves, and 

 in such cases it will be more convenient to retain such in large 

 pots or tubs, which may be plunged into the general border, 

 than to attempt forming distinct portions for themselves. Al- 

 most all plants, which are cultivated in such structures, are 

 found to thrive well in a soil rather poor than rich, the object 

 in view being more the attainment of plants of ordinary bulk 

 and flowering habits, than the attainment of specimens of their 

 natural size, for which we have no houses in this country 

 capable of holding, neither (it is presumed) would it be ad- 

 visable to make any such attempt. The majority of conser- 

 vatory plants are found to prosper well in a soil composed of 

 half peat-earth and light virgin-loam, with a small portion of 

 pure white sand, the latter ingredient to be added in proportion 

 to its absence in the former, or in proportion to the richness 

 or stiffness of the latter. No previous preparation is at all 

 necessary if these materials be good, neither should either be 



