THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE OF AMERICA. 



50') 



while if the supply is all a niirate in one ai)plication, 

 because of solubility, ,it niuaiis costly waste, proven 

 to be 40 per cent., as well as probable injurious excess 

 for the plant. 



But it is possiljle to ha\c Mich a supply of alkaline 

 nitrate applied held in an a!'-~Mrl;ent for the plant's use 

 only, thus giving complete a\ailability with controlled 

 feeding and the waste checked. This means sure con- 

 trol of forced growths and tiie desired improved qual- 

 ities, tenderness and succulence in vegetables and 

 other plant benefits, not possible with slow or intei- 

 rupted growths. If the nitrogen supply is as an am- 

 monia it is less available and liesides is subject to loss 

 of leaching, evaporation, etc., of about 60 per cent. 



Some forms of nitrogen are quite slow in availabil- 

 ity and others like peat, leather, hair and horn, fre- 

 quently used by fertilizer manufacturers, are so ver_\' 

 unavailable as to be useless for flower and vegetable 

 growing. Soil acidity resulting from continued use of 

 sulphate of ammonia, manure, other organic matter, 

 ancl otherwise may readily lessen by 50 per cent, the 

 availability of future applications of organic nitrogen, 

 and also make impossible the growing of some plants 

 with any amount of fertilizer or manure used. Ni- 

 trogen from mineral sources like nitrate of soda or uf 

 lime, or sulphate of ammonia, is more favorable to the 

 flowering and fruition phase of growth than when de- 

 rived from an organic source. 



Phosphoric acid obtained Ijy acidulating phosphate 

 rock is sufficiently available, but may carry free acid 

 and is only safe against this in a complete fertilizer 

 when carbonate of lime is used as a conditioner. 

 Though bone gives a favorable form of phosphoric 

 acid, it is slower than acid phosphate, likely to be too 

 much so when forced growths are wanted. Should 

 the soil contain certain iron compounds, as is fre- 

 quently the case, available phosphoric acid applied 

 speedily becomes unavailable by chemical change, and 

 plants are deprived of their supply of this element, 

 absolutely essential for formation of flowers, fruits 

 and seeds ; for this lime is a good remedy, when ap- 

 plied it neutralizes such iron elements. Phosphoric 

 acid in basic slag and raw phosphate w'ork are so low 

 in availability that benefits are for the future rather 

 than the present. 



Potash is necessary for development of hard fibre 

 in stems and seeds, and otherwise in functions within 

 the plant. It is likely to be lacking in animal fertilizers 

 and manure ; if supplied in the form of a muriate or 

 sul]5hate, as customary, the latter should be pref<^rred, 

 but of high grade only : the muriate is unsafe beoause 

 its chlorides are injurious to some plants and also pro- 

 duce serious soil acidity. 



Lime is a necessary plant food, the predominant 

 one for fruit trees and some plants, but exceptionally 

 to a slight degree only for some other plants where 

 an excess may be injurious. It performs indispensable 

 functions within the plant, for which there is no sub- 

 stitute : one being the aiding in conversion of starch 

 into sugar, thereby improving the flavor of fruits and 

 vegetables. To be absorbed liy the plant it must gen- 

 erally l)e as a carljonate. ne\er in the caustic form. 



Lime is lacking in animal matter (other than bonel 

 and manure, yet it is often of vital importance for full 

 development of plants, so that when added to sucii 

 fertilizers it nearly alwa^-s produces the most aston- 

 ishing favorable results, one reason being that un- 

 available nitrogen, phosphoric acid and potash are 

 made available by it. Lime also acts on nitrogen in- 

 directlv to make it available bv' neutralizin"' acidil\- 



Twenty Thousand 



ROSES 



tvv^o years old, including excellent 

 Teas, Hybrid Teas, like 



BESSIE BROWN 



CHAMPION WORLD 



DEVONIENSIS 



ETOILE LYON 



GENERAL JACK 



HELEN GOULD 



HERMOSA 



LA FRANCE 



KILLARNEY 



CAMILLE 



MARLETT 



BUDDE 



CANT 



WELLESLEY 



BABY RAMBLER 



Our selection from above as 

 long as they last, from four-inch 

 pots or larger, at tw^elve dollars 

 per hundred f. o. b. West Grove. 



The Conard 6 Jones Company 



WEST GROVE, PA. 



