The Garden Under Glass

FEEDING AND TOP-DRESSING 243 to a thickness of about four to six inches. If this turf has been stacked with cow manure between the layers for several months its nutritive value will be considerably en-hanced. When the turf has been formed into a neat square the pot may be placed on it. The roots escaping through the hole at the bottom of the pot will revel in such luxury, and the result in growth and flower will soon be seen. It will be necessary to damp this soil when watering. A Space for Top-dressing When potting a plant it is usual to leave a space between the soil and the top of the pot for the convenience of watering. If the plant is likely to remain so long in the pot that it will need a considerable amount of nutriment over and above that contained in the compost it would be wise to allow further space so that soil and manure may be added later. There are also other means of providing space for top-dressing. The commonest method is to put a collar of zinc or tin around the inside of the pot so that its upper edge is about an inch or an inch and a half above the rim of the pot. Top-dressing material may then be added, and there will still be sufficient room left for holding water. Another method is to mix clay and cow manure in the same manner as is done for grafting, and to form a mound over the rim of the pot and rising more than an inch above it. This is often done in the case of fmit-trees in pots, notably figs. A good mixture for general top-dressing would be equal parts of loam, leaf-soil and cow manure, with the addition of sand or road grit if the loam is somewhat heavy. The leaf-soil affords coolness to the roots, which relish it greatly.