little of the latter with the wood every time more fuel is required. When the fire is well set agoing and gets powerful, it does not require being broken down so frequently; and a coating of clay 2 feet deep may be put on at a time, while it can be left to become a glowing heap of fire without any attention for the time. As soon as the desired quantity has been thus burned, and allowed to become sufficiently cool to allow its being spread all over the surface from whence it was taken, it is spread equally, and a quantity of any vegetable refuse, such as an old garden rubbish heap, road scrapings, leaf-mould, the scourings of ditches, containing principally leaves and decayed grass, and with all, some manure, is spread over the surface of all, and so the burned earth-now like finely pounded bricks-is placed between such vegetable deposits and the best of the original soil. Then a trench is opened at one end, and the whole carefully mixed and turned over, to form a free deep staple of soil, fit to grow almost anything well, and flower-garden plants in particular. In the process of burning and mixing, the subsoil, which is apt to get hard and consolidated, should be broken up and left rough as each trench is turned over. To dwell on the desirability of thus having a tough wet clayey sail converted into a deep porous one, is not necessary. The merest tyro can easily conceive how the process improves such soils mechanically by reducing its most tenacious part to something like brick dust, which, when well mixed with the best portion of the soil and vegetable refuse, gives a soil at once much more easily managed, and more productive. The chemical changes which take place are as obvious as those that are mechanical. The foreign matters in clayey soils contain potash, soda, and a few others. All these constitutents are found when vegetable produce is burned; but often they are to be found in such combinations in the soil as to be comparatively useless, and the question is how to get at these profitably. In burning clay, the potash is rendered soluble, as well as other fertilising constituents which plants require. On the other hand, burned clay has the power of absorbing ammonia in large quantities from the air and rains. The large portion of potash which is derived from burning with wood is also of no inconsiderable importance. In the case of small owners who find it very difficult in clayey districts to procure proper soil for flower-beds, as well as shrubbery borders, this is a process far too much neglected. And while a fruitless search is being made for loam of a proper texture, the clay itself may be passed through this fiery ordeal and mixed with vegetable refuse; and when to be used for Rhododendrons and other American peat-loving plants, a portion of sandstone may be added. For such plants as love coolness, but no standing water, this plan is especially to be recommended; for in winter the open body of soil allows rains to pass off into drains, and in summer the burned clay is a capital absorbent of moisture-so laying up a store of it against a time of drought. The finest beds of the large globe-flowering Pelargoniums, such as old Compactum and Shrubland superb, I ever saw, were grown in soil composed largely of burned clay. INDEX. Acæna, culture of, 186. 80; melancholicus ruber, culture American cowslip, the, its culture, Anagallis, culture of, 79. Annuals, hardy, 141; soil for them, Antennaria, culture of, 186. Banksian roses, 183. Baskets, plants suitable for, 269. Bedding-out plants, review of the Beds and borders, preparation of, for Beds and groups of beds, general re- Beet, crimson, culture of, 84. Biennials, sowing of, 150; soil and Antirrhinums, culture and list of, Bog bean, the, 201. 80. Aponogeton distachyon, 201. Aquatics or water plants, culture of, Arabis, culture of, 83; for spring, Arundo donax, culture of, 82. Aubrietia, culture of, for spring, Bothwell Castle, the mixed border Bourbon roses, 176. Boursault roses, 182. Bulbs, hardy, for spring flowering, Bulbocodium, culture of, for spring, Burning clayey soils, the, 357. Butomus umbellatus, 201. Cabbage roses, 180. Backhouse, Messrs., on the culture Calceolarias, recent improvements of alpines, 188. in, 19; shrubby, their autumn propagation, 62; spring manage- Calandrinia umbellata, 186. Campanula carpatica, 86; pulla, 186. Cannas, cultivation, etc., of, 120. 220. Centaurea Ragusina, propagation and Cerastium, culture of, 85; its culture Cheiranthus, culture of, 86; its cul- Christmas rose, culture of, 235. Clayey soil, the improvement of, by Cold pits, etc., wintering tender Coleus Verschafeltii, 87. Dactylis, culture of, 88; its culture Dodecatheon, culture of, 229. Dog's-tooth violet, its culture, 230. Eranthis, culture of, 229. Erythronium, spring culture of, 230. Fernery, the hardy, 193; list of Foliage plants, borders of, 328. Galanthus, culture of, 231. Gladioli, recent improvements in, Per- and Hardy Annuals-see Annuals. Hybrid perpetual roses, 173. Iberis, culture of, for spring, 237. Iris, culture of, for spring, 238. Jacob's Ladder, the variegated, 72. Knight, Mr., account of the employ- Linaria alpina, 187. Lithospermum fruticosum, 187. Love-lies-bleeding, its culture, 80. Marietti stock for roses, the, 168. Massing system of flower-gardening, Mayfield, cultivation of fine foliage Mixed borders, how to plant, 326. the, 5; characteristics of it, 9. Myosotis, culture of, for spring, Narcissus, culture of, 239. Omphalodes, culture of, 240. Pæonies, herbaceous, culture and et seq. leaved, list of, 38; variegated, Pentstemons, culture and list of, 97. Perilla Nankinensis, culture of, 99. Planting out, how to perform, 344. Pontederia cordata, 202. Promiscuous system of flower-gar- Provence or cabbage roses, 180. Ranunculuses, culture of, 242. Ribbon borders, designs for planting, Ricinuses, culture of, 120. Roses, recent improvements in, 21; |