Am:4Xi9ib3arm'}  Cultivation  of  Hydrastis.  149 
Soil — Beds — Drainage. 
The  soil  of  my  beds  is  a  gravelly  sandy  loam  mixed  with  clay ; 
it  is  generally  speaking,  good  corn  ground,  sloping  to  the  north ; 
being  located  upon  a  bank  of  Tinker's  Creek  (in  northern  Ohio), 
but  above  the  flood  line,  they  have  an  excellent  natural  drainage, 
which  is  necessary  in  the  growing  of  this  plant. 
I  work  the  soil  thoroughly  and  deeply,  in  the  fall,  throwing  out 
all  roots,  stone  and  coarse  material,  spading  in  well-rotted  barn- 
yard compost,  vegetable  leaf  mould,  or  rotten  sawdust  ;  hence,  let 
the  beds  remain  until  spring,  again  giving  them  the  same  liberal 
treatment,  a  couple  of  weeks  before  setting,  giving  them  time  to 
settle  a  little  before  planting  out.  I  would  here  state  that  the  soil 
can  not  be  made  too  fertile  for  golden  seal,  neither  be  too  soft  for  a 
good  growth ;  it  is  a  hardy  feeder  and  depletes  soil  rapidly,  but  when 
it  is  well  fostered  and  nourished  it  basks  in  its  surroundings  and  is 
an  easy  plant  to  grow ;  therefore,  imitation  of  the  soil  like  unto  the 
plant's  forest  home  should  be  given  strict  observance  when  making 
the  beds  for  a  plant  whose  every  nature  is  wild,  and  whom  man  is 
trying  to  domesticate. 
Make  the  beds  four  feet  wide  for  convenience  in  working,  wider 
ones  are  harder  to  work  when  weeding,  seeding,  etc.  The  length 
of  the  beds  is  immaterial;  they  should  be  spaded  and  respaded, 
before  plants  are  set,  should  be  thoroughly  worked  over  and  en- 
riched again  and  again,  this  treatment  insures  a  good  and  sturdy 
growth.  Be  sure  of  the  drainage,  for  the  plant  will  not  grow  where 
the  ground  is  wet,  if  there  is  no  good  natural  drainage,  provide  for 
the  same,  and  here  the  artificial  comes  in ;  lay  a  row  of  two-  or  three- 
inch  tile  lengthwise  through  the  bed  with  plenty  of  fall  and  provide 
a  good  outlet  and  be  sure  this  is  open  at  all  times ;  this  drain  should 
be  about  sixteen  inches  below  the  surface  of  the  bed — in  the  plants' 
forests  home  the  drainage  was  largely  upward,  but  here  under 
culture  it  must  be  downward,  the  trees  and  herbage  of  the  woods 
absorbed  large  quantities  of  water,  but  under  artificial  shade  the 
drainage  of  surplus  water  must  be  gotten  rid  of  rapidly. 
Enrichment. 
I  have  never  used  any  kind  of  commercial  fertilizer  upon  my 
garden — only   decayed   barnyard   compost,   rotten   sawdust,  and 
'  vegetable  leaf  mould.    Therefore  1  can  not  speak  intelligently  re- 
