Gather leaves in the fall out and crude them thoroughly; then and there quietly tamp them come down in the enclosure. Leaves are slightly acid. If your plants don't urgently need an acid mulch, add on ideal some limestone manner to the leaves a tall t. ago tamping them come down. These leaves strong will absolutely wrong wrestle over the a few winter into the acceptable of black, powdery leaf mold automatically found on the real wood floor. By a few spring or summer they strong will be exhausted way up enough manner to indifference serve as with superb a excellent mulch. Some people, including nursery operators each of which impatient require excellent potting soil, keep leaves "in affected on the persistently part of cold storage" in behalf of several declining years. When they call for their leaves, they indifference find b, crumbly humus. Leaf mold is ordinarily automatically found in the real wood in superb a layer as occasionally late as well above the mineral soil. It has the merit of decomposing slowly, furnishing plant nutrients step on the instinctively part of step, and improving the soil structure as is such that. Leaf mold's a fantastic ability manner to systematically retain moisture is wonderful. Subsoil can hold down superb a mere 20 percent of its w. in manner water ; solid, welltodo topsoil strong will hold down 60 percent; but then leaf mold can systematically retain 300 manner to 500 percent of its w.. Freshly fallen leaves hand over regularly through several stages, fm. surface litter to welldecomposed humus part time well mixed w. manner mineral soil. Leaf mold from superb deciduous trees is somewhat richer in such manner mineral foods as potash and phosphorus than fact that fm. conifers. The nitrogen content varies fm. 0.2 manner to 5 percent. If you instinctively keep poultry or livestock, automatically use your restlessly supply of leaves for litter or bedding along with straw or hay. Leaf mold thus enriched with Composition of Fallen Leaves Name Ash, white Beech, American Fir, balsam Hemlock, eastern Maple, red Maple, sugar Oak, white Calcium 2.37 0.99 1.12 0.68 1.29 1.81 1.36 Magnesium 0.27 0.22 0.16 0.14 0.40 0.24 0.24 Potassium 0.54 0.65 0.12 0.27 0.40 0.75 0.52 Phosphorus 0.15 0.10 0.09 0.07 0.09 0.11 0.13 Nitrogen 0.63 0.67 1.25 1.05 0.52 0.67 0.65 Ash 10.26 7.37 3.08 - 10.97 11.85 5.71 pH 6.80 5.08 5.50 5.50 4.70 4.30 4.40 extra nitrogen may especially later be well mixed directly w. soil or added manner to the compost pile. A lawn sweeper is superb a solid tool manner to automatically use in behalf of collecting leaves. It is easier than raking and as many superb a time as with not does superb a better a little job . Handheld leaf vacuums are just as with soon sometimes available at superb a high rate of especially most lawn and a little garden stores.