June i, 1885.] 



;the tropical agriculturist. 





gave it new life and was in a position to be made better. 

 Winter after winter we trenched and retrenched part of 

 the garden, until most of our soil is as good 3 feet down 

 as upon the surface. The result was, Teas generally free 

 from mildew and bearing until destroyed by frost; Ne 

 Plus Ultra, still the best Pea I think, bearing crops until 

 the blossom is destroyed by frost. Scarlet Runners, of 

 which we never sow but one crop, bear well until Nov- 

 ember. All the Brassicas do equally well, especially Brussels 

 sprouts and Cauliflowers. Potatoes, which are generally 

 considered surface-rooting, delight in a deep well-drained 

 soil. I hi've taken up from a single set of the Champion 

 18 lb. of good Potatoes. In 1883 single sets of the Read- 

 ing Hero produced 15 lb. of sound Potatoes, which were 

 exhibited in our local seed shop windows, and the small- 

 est produce of any set in the whole plot would be over 

 10 lb. The roots of Potatoes I have found over 3 feet down. 



Many object to deep loosening of the soil because the 

 roots go down out of the reach of sun heat, but I think 

 the secret of good fresh succulent vegetables, especially 

 the Brassicas, is in having well-drained deeply worked 

 cool soil. Who has not seen Cauliflowers in August with 

 their leaves drooping in shallow soil and their roots long- 

 ing to get out of the reach of the sun's rays and to 

 where they could obtain moisture to lift their drooping 

 head si" 



Mr. Iggulden speaks of bonemeal and other manures 

 applied liberally near the surface, but unfortunately we 

 are not all blessed with employers with such long and 

 well-filled purses as Mr. Iggulden, and have to resort to 

 deep cultivation as a substitute for copious dressings of 

 manure. I do not know a kitchen garden crop that is 

 not benefited by deep cultivation of the soil. The roots of 

 kernel and stone fruit trees should doubtless be kept as 

 Dear the surfaco as possible, as the sun heat is of the 

 greatest advantage to these if sufficient moisture is retained 

 in the surface soil. — W. O., Fota Island, Cork. — Journal 

 of Horticulture. 



YARD MANURE AND WOOD ASHES. 



I have been asked to state the comparative value 

 of unleached wood ashes and barnyard manure for 

 Apple, Peach, Tear, and Cherry trees, nlso in regard 

 to composting the two. Barnyard manure varies to 

 so great an extent that it is impossible to place a standard 

 price upon it. What it may be worth depends upon 

 the kind and condition of the animal, the nature of 

 its food, the relative amount of litter mixed with it, 

 and the amount of soluble materials removed by rain, 

 &c. For this discussion I will take fresh horse dung 

 as a standard, the horse having a mixed feed of one 

 part Oats and three parts meadow hay, the dung being 

 free from all stable litter. This dung contains 75 per 

 cent of water, 2§ per cent of ash, and 6-10 of ono 

 per cent of nitrogen. A ton of such manure contains 12 lb. 

 of nitrogen, worth 2 dollars 40 cents, and 50 lb. of ash, 

 containing in addition to the lime, magnesia, sulphates, 

 chlorides, &c, 116 lb. of potash, worth 77 cents, and 

 49 lb. of phosphoric acid, worth 61 cents, or a total 

 value of 3 dollars 78 cents a ton, estimating these three 

 materials at commercial rates. This calculation is made 

 on the assumption that the phosphoric acid is all soluble 

 in water, and that the nitrogen is as valuable for fruit 

 trees as it is for field crops, both propositions somewhat 

 doubtful. Wood ashes represent all the mineral elements 

 of vegetable growth, and contain everything the farmer 

 must give his crops except combined nitrogeu. Wood ashes 

 will vary in composition and value with the kind of wood 

 anil the part of the tree. I will take the a*h of the body 

 Wood of the Beech tree as representing the average of 

 Wood ashes. A ton of such ashes contains 320 lb. of potash, 

 Worth 16 dollars, and 105 lb. of phosphoric acid (insoluble), 

 Worth 5 dollars 25 cents. Omitting all the other ash 

 constituents, which have some value of themselves, the 

 potash and phosphoric acid of a ton of such ashes are 

 worth 21 dollars 25 cents, or nearly six times the value 

 of a ton of fresh horse dung. For orchards I regard 

 ashes a* worth more than six times the value of barn- 

 yard manure, ton for ton. When barnyard manure is com- 

 posted with wood ashes the coarse vegetable material and 

 litter are rapidly broken down, and the manure is speedily 



112 



fitted for use; but there is some loss of nitrogen in the 

 form of ammonia, but there will ■ be no loss of mineral 

 matter if kept from leaching by water.— Dr. K.C. Ku, n 

 Michigan Agricultural College, in the A"eui York Tribune 



THE ELECTRIC LIGHT AND THE GROWTH OF 

 PLANTS. 



In conversation with Mr. Isaac Buchanan, one of tho 

 best known florists of New York, this subject came up, 



and he stated that his observation inclined hi .elieve 



that when plants were used for d ative » ..n , ,. . — . ,,, 



rooms where the electric light was use instead of gas 

 they seemed to have all the health and vigour a il 

 growing under the light of a conservatory. He further- 

 more said that he had long ago observed that on n u- 



hght nights there was always a better development of 

 the flowers of Camellias and Roses during the winter 

 months than when there was no moonlight. Hence bu 



inferred that light, no matter how obtained, was I - 



ficial to the growth of plants. This opinion from such 

 an authority as Mr. Buchanan, who is well known I.. 

 have had nearly half a century's experience, and who 

 has always been a close observer, is ceri u'nly « u'thy of 

 great attention. 



It is well known to all cultivators that the greater the 

 amount of sunlight the greater will be the development 

 of the flowers. We all know that in the dark days of 

 December and January the growth of development of Rose 

 buds. Carnations, &c, is less than half of what it is in 

 the months of March and April, when the davs have 

 lengthened, and the increased sunlight gives nearly twice 

 the amount of light. Few commercial florists have the 

 means or time for such expensive experiments as would be 

 necessary to determine whether the use of the electric 

 light in forcing flowers and fruit in greenhouses during 

 winter could be profitably employed. It is a matter of 

 sufficient importance, it would seem, for the Agricultural 

 Department at Washington to take hold of. For be it 

 known that the gardening industry now in the forcing 

 of vegetables, fruits, and particularly flowers, has millions 

 [of dollars] of capital invested in it throughout the land, 

 and gives employment to tens of thousands of men ; and 

 if Nature can be aided by- this wonderful electric light 

 it will be a leap forward that the discoverer might well be 

 proud of .—Peter Henderson-, in the Scientific American. 



THE VEGETATION OF THIBET. 

 It is among these lower hills that the Camphor is usually 

 grown, often to a colossal size, whilst another China- 

 monium, called Nan-moii by the Chinese, and which forms 

 one of the most elegant and largest trees that can be 

 seen, is only found in the alluvial plains of Setchuep at 

 an elevation of about 1,700 feet. A single Hose, with 

 rose-coloured flowers of a sweet scent, grows in tl e 

 woods of Moupine ; but the white flowering species with 

 long shoots abounds there, as it does through all Central 

 China. Among tho numerous climbing shrubs I ought 

 to mention one which is remarkable for having largely 

 developed floral bracts, like our Bougainvillea, but white; 

 also the Glycine, so common on tho hills of the eastern 

 provinces, but which is absent from the west. I have 

 not seen here either the wild Camellia, with white. 

 flowers of moderate size, which is so abundant in the 

 district of Kiangsi, where the best table oil to be had 

 in the country is made from the fruits [seeds ?]. As to 

 the Chamasrops, it may be seen prospering in Setchueti 

 and Moupine up to an elevation of 3,400 feet, supporting 

 with impunity tho colds and snows of winter. This 

 tree, the only representative of Palms hi Central China 

 does not grow spontaneously farther noith than the 

 basin of the Yantze. In this region is found in a wil^ 

 state and in abundance the Loquat of Japan and a 

 Ligustrum. The Chinese make use of a Privet with per- 

 sistent foliage, and of the Fraxiuus sinensis, to raise 

 their wax insect (Coccus pelaV Plstacia sinensis, an 

 Elocaguus edulis, as well as Citrus triptera, the only wild 

 form of the genus, are found here. I ought not to 

 forget to mention an Arundo, very near to our A 

 Douax, if not identical, which I hart, never seen but it; 



