54 
frequently witnessed great negligence in this 
respect. To some of my readers my practice 
of turning the Compost over once every month 
may appear unnecessary, but I have evei*y 
reason to believe that I have found the 
greatest utility from it. I remember the time 
when I did not pay that attention to stirring it 
so frequently, not knowing the serious conse- 
quence of my neglect, and I used to lose a 
great number of plants by the rot and canker, 
which I attributed to the cause of not having 
my mould street and in fine condition. I have 
only to obsei-ve these last ten or twelve years, 
since I followed this system of turning it over 
once a month, or thereabouts, that I have sel- 
dom or ever lost any plants by the rot; besides 
which, when your Compost is in fine condi- 
tion, your plants will increase as fast again. 
Whenever I lost any plants by the rot, it 
chiefly originated from a continuation of very 
heavy summer or winter rains, and when this 
happens, they should be protected by some 
temporary covering for a few days ; a covering 
made of old sail-cloth kept tarred, or old oil- 
cloth, might answer for such a purpose for 
your choice and most expensive sorts, others 
you may risk. Some persons use sea sand, 
and if that cannot be got, sand from a river 
