20 THE COTTAGE GARDENER. April 14. 
are placed nearly in the order of their importance. 
These, singly, or in any order of combination, if well 
blended with the soil, will alter its character for ever, 
being imperishable in their nature. After such materials 
are incorporated, I would add plenty of old and tho¬ 
roughly decomposed vegetable matter, such as any one 
or all of the following:—Leaf mould, charred peat or 
heath soil, charred saw dust, old tan, pond mud, and 
ditchings, when well mellowed and separated. 
We must now come to the mode of their incorporation 
with the soil: this requires some care. The party about 
to proceed must not allow himself to be frightened at 
the commencement by the prospect of a good deal of 
extra labour—a good garden will amply repay him ; a 
bad garden never can. Soils of this character should, 
if possible, undergo a few months’ fallow previously to 
the introduction of the improving material. Those 
who have time, would do well to break it up in the 
autumn, whether by plough or spade; and after the 
winter’s frost had mellowed it, to harrow it well down as 
soon as dry in the spring ; and if still stubborn below, 
to plough or dig again, and shortly to harrow again ; 
after which the improving material might be applied, 
and of course as much cultivation applied as will mingle 
the mass. Such a course, commenced in the end of 
September, and pursued at proper periods, without 
delay, might be complete for fruit-tree planting and 
vegetable cropping by the beginning of March; when, if 
our subsequent directions as to planting, &c., be pur¬ 
sued, no doubts may possibly remain as to ultimate 
success. As to the vegetable matter proposed to be in¬ 
troduced, any, or every occasion in subsequent culture 
may be taken to introduce such materials. It is well 
known that coarse clayey soils are apt to be deficient in 
those materials known to men of science by the term 
humus , meaning all and every kind of vegetable matter 
which has undergone that slow decay which, at least, 
reduces the body to a sort of black mould. I bold it 
good policy, in vegetable culture, so to prepare the soil 
as to promote a rapid root action; not only as ensuring 
luxuriant growth, but as hastening young crops out of 
the reach of insect enemies. Old vegetable matters are 
well known by good gardeners to be peculiarly efficient 
in this respect. 
Thus much as to clayey soils. Let us now take the 
second section —sandy or wealc soils. It need scarcely 
be observed, that these are the very antipodes of the 
former, and, of course, require a different treatment. 
Their want of adhesiveness must be the first considera¬ 
tion. The following are the most eligible materials with 
which I am acquainted to promote this principle:—Marl, 
especially what is called clay-marl; clay in a powdery 
or crumbled state; pond scourings, or ditchings from 
clayey subsoils, rendered mellow, &c. It is a singular 
consideration, that the clayey material employed has a 
constant tendency to “go down,” as our farmers term it; 
in other words, they are readily soluble, and are carried 
down through the medium of the rains, in a state of 
solution, unto the first impermeable level they meet 
with. Now, we all know that in what are termed loams 
the clayey principle remains suspended ; for what was a 
sound loam a century ago is still the same, and con¬ 
tinues so. I name this by the way to show uninformed 
readers an evil they must expect, at least in the use of 
marl, and one for which there is no remedy, as far as I 
am aware. In confirmation of the preceding remarks 
I may just point to a notorious fact, well known in these 
parts—viz., that marl applied agriculturally on the sur¬ 
face is over found in a stratum several inches below 
the surface in a few years after its application: thus 
marling becomes a periodical affair. 
Now, the matter termed liumus in the preceding re¬ 
marks is as much required in these loose soils as in the 
clays; perhaps more so. It will be well, however, in 
the case of texture improvements, to get the inorganic 
matters blended first, and then to add the vegetable 
matter, which may be done first, as in the case of 
the clays. 
Now for peaty soils —by far the more difficult to 
correct thoroughly. There can be fttt-lc doubt that such 
soils, if elastic to the foot, must be consolidated. Whilst 
they are in the elastic state the owner may rest assured 
that something remains to be done before they can be 
included in the class of fertile soils. Where such soils 
i are deep in this peaty material, there can, T think, be 
; little doubt that burning, or rather charring, may be 
resorted to as good practice ; and the addition of marly 
or clayey materials, together with sand, or rubbish' of 1 
any kind, becomes equally necessary to constitute what | 
we may term true soil. Such proceedings combined 1 
will, with thorough drainage, render these soils perma¬ 
nently fertile ; both fruits and vegetables will luxuriate 
permanently afterwards, and that in proportion to the 
amount of care exercised. 
There are, doubtless, other materials eligible in cer¬ 
tain localities, and other modes of proceeding with 
regard to them ; and it becomes every one about to 
make new gardens, or orchards, to cast his eyes around, 
and see what materials are within his reach, for few can 
avail themselves of all the materials here enumerated. 
Here, indeed, lies the true economy of the affair—so to 
understand the matter as to be ablo to turn the most 
ordinary tilings to account as improvers; for it fre¬ 
quently happens that materials close at hand, and which, 
consequently, cost little, are despised, merely because 
they have lain a long time neglected, through ignorance 
of their real value if applied to special cases. By far 
too many treat the matter of texture, or staple, too 
lightly ; a very common error prevails that manures are 
the only resource and hence a sad waste of such pre¬ 
cious materials. I know as well as any man the value 
of manures as a super-addition; but to indulge in a 
profligate waste of them, irrespective of the texture of 
the soil, is by no means judicious. R. Errington. 
BEDDING-OUT PLANTS. 
For more than fifty years there was only one scarlet 
I variegated Geranium in all England, unless the Golden 
Chain might be called variegated. The first bed of this 
scarlet variegated by itself, I ever saw, was at Dropmore, 
in 1830, and at the Deepden, in Surrey, in 1831. At 
that time, no one about Loudon knew the Golden Chain, 
and there was not another variegated Geranium in the 
trade; but of late years other variegated kinds, both 
! pink and scarlet, have appeared, and, to make a dis¬ 
tinction between the kinds, the first is now called the 
| Old Variegated Scarlet, and very often, in country nur- 
: series, simply The Scarlet Variegated, which was the 
original name. It is only to be had by one of these 
two names; and I am quite sure that Mr. Appleby, or 
the officers of the Horticultural and Pomological Asso¬ 
ciation, could procure it in the trade by the thousand, 
for the Association applies to the most respectable 
; dealers, and hunts out any thing which appears scarce, 
j or little known ; and at all times, and under all circum- 
| stances, keeps a vigilant eye on rascals who impose on 
the public, for it cannot be denied that the most sys¬ 
tematic frauds are going on, from one year’s end to , 
another, by means of advertising alone. 
I have said already that I did not see a single in¬ 
stance, in the neighbourhood of London, where any ; 
one had succeeded in making a shot-silk bed with this j 
old Scarlet Variegated Geranium. I have seen many 
attempts made, some of which were dead and dis¬ 
graceful failures, because first-rate hands were entrusted 
with the planting and after-management, and all such 
