Page:The Amateur's Greenhouse and Conservatory.djvu/66

60 matters, an expert plant-grower and a winner of first prizes. Sometimes loam and peat are mixed, and we must confess that we ourselves mix them; but the mixing can scarcely be considered good practice, for one being decidedly acid and the other decidedly alkaline, they do not quite agree when chopped up together. As a matter of fact, however, it must be confessed that the best plant-growers employ both loam and peat in composts, and see no reason to doubt the propriety of the procedure. It will be found in practice that young plants of all kinds and plants of soft texture, whether young or old, thrive best in a light soil containing a rather large proportion of sand, whereas plants that are advanced beyond the stage of infancy, and all plants of woody texture, of whatever age, require a firmer compost. Hence, in potting a lot of little things, that have just begun to put forth roots, sand and leaf mould may be added to the compost; or in shifting on robust habited plants that have acquired a place in the world, it may be well to add loam or peat, as the case may be, just as in feeding a baby soft food is alone suitable, whereas a “lubberly boy” will want cartloads of bread and meat and pudding.

It is a bad practice as a rule to sift composts, for they should always be rather lumpy, and the finest part should be reserved for filling in at the top of the pot. But sifting may be proper in preparing a mixture for seedlings and cuttings, and the finer the compost the larger should be the proportion of sand in it, to prevent its becoming an obnoxious paste. There ought not to be a single worm in any mixture for pot plants. Large stones must, of course, be removed. Any bits of decayed wood which occur in the leaf mould should be thrown out. A mixture ready for use should be quite damp, yet dry enough to be handled freely without soiling the fingers. If it is wet and sticky it is not fit for use.

A capital basis for the universal compost may be prepared in the following manner:&mdash;Procure equal quantities of the top spit of a good loamy pasture and of good stable manure from well-fed horses. As they are carted into the yard have them built up into a tall square stack in alternate layers, a layer of turf, and a layer of manure, and leave the stack untouched for twelve months. Then cut from the stack by slicing downwards from the top as wanted, and take the mixture as the basis of a loam compost, adding sand and leaf mould to lighten