A Philosophical Discourse

rich dhd light Soil : Carnations would have a Loamy Earth, qualified,if too stiff, with Sea-sand, and Sbeeps-dung ; if too poor, with richerMould ;^so the Teony, Anemony , Ranunculus , and other Flowers;but then lay it at the bottom, such as you take from the last YearsPlot-bed, giving it a Surface of c Vnder-turf, which has been soderdon, lweet and air’d: In this to plant your Roots, but. so as not totouch the artificial Soil, but rather let it lie about the Tasturc- Earth,in Which your Bulbs should always be planted: For all dung'd Earthscanker the Roots of Flowers, whilst their Fibres, reaching the heartierMould, draw from it without Danger. But if you would indeed beprovided of excellent Earth to plant most Flowers in, lay Turf 0Tasture-ground in Heaps for two Winters , till it be perfectly c ° n 'fum’d : This is also admirable for Tuberous Roots, and indeed all up-land Mould, whether sandy or loamy , may be made perfectly good Wit 1Floats-dung laid on the Surf ice about Michaelmas for one Year, thatit may wash kindly in; then in September after, pare this Turf off sthin as you can, and for the first Foot depth of Earth , you have B c(i-ding for Bulbs and Tuberous Roots superior to any other. Anotherproper Mixture (much in Esteem with our Gardiners ) is hollosWillow Earth, a fourth Part, fisted from the grosser Sticks, with a'most an equal Portion of Sheeps-dung ( Lauremberg fays Goats is b ct 'ther) with a little natural Mould; and indeed this is excellent ^raise any Seedlings of Flowers ; but for thC more minute and de icate, such as Cypress, Mulberry , the Samera of Elm , and the lih e ’prepare a Mould almost of Powder, gently refresti’d with a de" JSperge or Brush, not with the Watering-pot, which plainly gin

Auricula , Anemonies , &Cc. should be raised in the Willow-describ’d above, but planted forth where Neats-dung and Loam is h

ed among the Pasture Earth.

Ach

The Tine and bigger Kernels make ( as some affirm ) great ^Vance by being coated with Dung, which being grown to great Tr^ e ’abhor it. Touching Change of Crop, something has been said ah eaand Tease degenerate betimes, at least in two or three Tears, be :Land never so good; so 'tis observ’d, that most Plants long st andl Jyin the lame Bed, impair both the Ground and themselves, cfp eCl11Sorrel .

To conclude; for a general good Garden-soil, take theUnder-turs, if it be not too stiff; add to it a quarter Part of -E ea ^Sheeps-dung perfectly consumed : one Bushel of stack’d Lime to s .^Toad of Mould, with lome sweet, though rotten Wood-pile or rlow-Earth, mix it well together; and you have a choice Compos ^for all your rare Exoticks, Oranges and Cafe-for ubs ; remembnOo^place the spray of rotten Bavins, Hampers or Baskets, to keep .Mould loose, with Lime-stone , Brickbats, Shells and other Rt*at the bottom, that the Water may pals freely, and not rot ctf.iovbbres: And therefore be careful never to make your Cafes close b c ’but rather so bar'd, as to be able to keep the course Materials ^ ^•dropping through, whilst Auger-holes, ( though never so thickare apt to be stopp’d up, and then your Roots do certainly rot, ^your Trees grow sick. The fame is to be observ’d in Tots, an jyyou place them about an Inch from the Ground, that they maydrain, and as freely receive refreshing. But I must not quit the

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