PREPARATION OF COMPOSTS. 
73 
That flowers may have every encouragement from the texture 
of the compost, it is prepared by being sifted till it is free from 
stones, &c. ; it should not be liable to knead in working, nor 
run together under heavy rain; by adding sand, it is made porous 
so as to receive, and as readily discharge any excess of water as 
well as allow the penetration of atmospheric influence. The 
high fertilities of the compost intended for flowers is one of the 
principal provisions to be made for their prosperity; every in¬ 
gredient should be present, and every quality added which suc¬ 
cessful practice has sanctioned. The luxuriance of the plants 
depends on the suitableness and temperament of the compost, 
and the depth of the tints of the flowers depends on the rich 
qualities contained in it; compost for a tulip bed is made as 
follows: viz., three barrowfuls of rich meadow loam, one ditto 
of fine leaf-mould, one ditto of old and perfectly rotten dung, 
and half a barrowful of sea-sand ; these matters should be col¬ 
lected and thoroughly incorporated several months before the 
compost is wanted, turned from time to time, kept in a shady 
place and from too much rain. 
Compost for a hyacinth bed should consist of four barrowfuls 
of fresh maiden sandy loam, one ditto of well-rotted cow dung, 
two ditto of leaf-mould, two ditto of river sand, and to these 
add one barrowful of desiccated night-soil well mixed together : 
this composition is said to retain its virtues for three years, but 
it is well to add a new portion annually. The polyanthus nar¬ 
cissus and most hardy bulbs succeed in the same compost as 
that recommended for the hyacinth. The anemone requires a 
rich loam, such as absorbs and retains an agreeable degree of 
moisture without repletion or deficiency. The garden ranun¬ 
culus requires the same kind of soil as the anemone, and if a 
little heavier, so much the better. The auricula is treated with 
rich and various composts, most of which has been found in 
turn to answer the purpose equally well, but a sound mixture 
for general purposes may be made of one fourth fresh yellow 
loam, one fourth peat, and one half of manure from an old hot¬ 
bed, with a small quantity of silver sand. The polyanthus does 
not require so rich a compost as the auricula ; the principal part 
should be fresh sandy loam mixed with a little well-rotted old 
hotbed dung and leaf-mould. 
Wey bridge. 
Thomas Wilson. 
