THE PLANT WORLD UNDER CARE 



79 



lets? I at once gave an order to a 

 manufacturing chemist for 10,000 com- 

 pressed tablets. This was in the early 

 part of igoo. All that spring and sum- 

 mer I experimented with my tablets, 

 as did a few naturalists to whom I gave 

 a supply. We used the entire 10,000. 

 Thev were found to work marvellously 

 well, even beyond my fondest hope. 



Each of the tablets is composed of 

 the following: common table salt (sod- 

 ium chloride) 2^ grains; plaster of Par- 

 is — gypsum (calcium sulphate), 23/2 

 grains; Epsom salts (magnesium sul- 

 phate) ; phosphate of lime, nearly the 

 same as burned bones (calcium phos- 

 phate), 2]/ 2 grains; East Indian saltpetre 

 —nitre (potassium nitrate), 5 grains; 

 compounds of iron and chlorine (ferric 

 chloride), nearly 1-10 grain. To make 

 the food solution two of these tablets 

 are required for each pint (500 ccm. 

 nearly) of water. Crush the tablets to 

 be used and put the powder in the water. 

 Shake or stir thoroughly before using. 

 Keep the plants thoroughly moistened 

 with this solution, which is both drink 

 and food for them. 



The solution orepared from the tablets 

 will nourish a plant if the roots can be 

 kept supplied with it, even on top of a 

 stone, or a brick, between two sheets of 

 glass, on crushed rock, sawdust, pebbles, 

 bits of glass, or any similar insoluble 

 substance. Plants thrive well on per- 



TO SHOW GROWTH UP AND DOWN 



Oats growing on mosquito netting tied over a 

 tumbler. The liquid in ihe tumbler is the 



nutrient solution. 



A DECORATIVE TANGLE OF PLANTS. 

 Grown in sawdust in a dripping pan. A profusion of white lupines and buckwheat. 



