72 
THE FLORIST'S JOURNAL* 
to air and water. Orchidaceous plants are treated with turfy 
moor earth only ; but the epiphytes only require to be placed in 
moss in a basket, and hung up in a warm moist atmosphere, 
from which they draw the chief part of their nourishment; the 
cactae thrive best in sand and loam or brick rubbish. As loam 
is the basis of almost all composts, it should be more or less in 
quantity, as the plants are more or less of vigorous growth. For 
hothouse bulbs, one half rich light turfy loam, and the other half 
made of thoroughly rotten dung, leaf-mould, and white sand ; a 
compost for greenhouse plants, is formed of one half light turfy 
sandy loam, and the other moor earth; some few, such as protea, like 
a rich loam; and others, such as pimelia, affect sandy moor earth ; 
camellias thrive best in a light yellow loam with a little moor 
earth. Ericas and all plants similar in habit thrive best in very 
sandy peat mixed with a little sandy loam; this soil will suit 
azaleas, rhododendrons, and such like. 
Geraniums are grown best in soil composed of very rotten 
dung and fresh light loom in equal parts, the richer the soil the 
stronger they grow. The flower gardener has recourse to many 
sorts of composts for his favorite bed-stage and border flowers; the 
requisites of flower-beds and composts are depth, pliability and 
necessary richness ; the practice of trenching the sites of flower¬ 
beds to the depth of three or four feet is found to be of great 
service to the plants, not that the roots can descend so low, but 
because the bed should be quickly drained after much rain, and 
that in dry weather the roots may run as deep as they have a 
tendency to go ; the orange, whether planted in the border or in 
boxes, requires the best and richest loam mixed with well-de- 
* 
cayed stable or cowhouse dung, three parts of the former with 
one part of the latter, well mixed together. The dahlia requires 
fresh loam and rotten dung renewed annually, and the pansy any 
light fresh soil ; a compost for the carnation is formed of fresh 
maiden loam, rotten or old hotbed dung and sand are the other 
ingredients: the proportions are three barrowfuls of loam, two 
ditto of rotten dung, and one ditto of river sand ; these put to¬ 
gether in September, and turned previous to the potting season, 
is all the preparation necessary. High-coloured bizarres require 
two thirds sandy loam, and one third well rotted stable dung ; 
scarlet, rose, and purple flakes require equal parts of rotten dung 
and maiden loam ; the picottee and pink are much the same as 
the carnation as regards soil, &c. 
