130 
GARDENING AS A SCIENCE. 
dissimilar as possible to the one just alluded to. A gardener whom we have 
known for more than ten years once sent a melon to the Royal table, the weight of 
which was above 24lbs. He has now a range of pits of fifteen lights each, seven feet 
long, the slope of which to the south sun is moderate, falling from the back nine- 
inch wall, three feet high, to the curb in front, about ten inches above the ground 
level. The earth was removed from the inside to the depth of at least a yard, 
and this space was filled with tree leaves collected from the park and shrubberies, 
and in the first instance trodden compactly as a bed to produce bottom-heat. As 
the heat declined more leaves were added ; and thus, by degrees, a great mass of 
semi-decayed vegetable matter was produced, which has never been removed. 
Many years have now elapsed, but in this earth melons were and have been 
annually planted for the later crops, and no heat of any kind is applied internally 
or externally. After the removal of the melons, the earth is exposed to the weather 
for a few weeks, then manured, digged, and planted, with the strongest plants of 
Keen's Strawberry, obtained from the early summer's runners. With the plants a 
portion of garden earth is of course introduced, and that contains more or less of 
loam. The strawberries are planted in rows, a foot apart, and six inches asunder 
in the rows. 
We do not dwell upon the productiveness of the strawberry so treated, year 
after year, nor of that of the melons, which follow in routine, it being our object 
to impress the truth, that the pure vegetable manure of leaves contains all the 
essential matters that can be assimilated by the vital principle of most plants. As 
to the small portion of loam which is introduced, it consists, as we have before 
stated, of nearly insoluble metallic oxides, and therefore confers texture and con- 
sistence only to the leafy compost. Leaves, moreover, do not introduce any 
common weeds ; some fungous matter may be, and is, generated, but none of the 
weeds of the farm with which the land is covered by the use of common stable 
and yard manure. 
We are now led to the subject of specific individual manuring, which, were it 
understood, would produce effects of the greatest importance to farming and 
horticulture. In Liebig's work, there is an appendix at page 213, upon " The 
Manuring of the Soil in Vineyards :" it is worthy of much attention. 
The writer, M. Krebs, of Seclieim, says, " that nothing more is necessary for 
the manure of a vineyard than the branches which are cut from the vines them- 
selves. 
" My vineyard," he adds, " has been manured in this way for eight years, 
without receiving any other kind of manure, and yet, more beautiful and richly 
laden vines could scarcely be pointed out. I formerly followed the method usually 
practised in this district, and was obliged in consequence to purchase manure to a 
large amount. This is now entirely saved, and my land is in excellent condition. 
u The foliage falls from trees in a forest only when they are withered, and 
they lie for years before they decay ; but the branches are pruned from the vine in 
