September 4, 1909 



HORTICULTURE 



8S9 



Natural Manures 



-irom-^*ar to year, a soaking witli lime water (1 busliel 



The manure question is one of tlie most important 

 in our trade and yet but few florists pay economic atten- 

 tion to it. 



The Continental European knows fully the value of 

 natural manures and, although he recognizes the value 

 of fertilizers, where nothing else is obtainable, he 

 searches very closely before spending hundreds of dol- 

 lars for the latter. The greatest objection to natural 

 manure comes from the employe, who complains of the 

 unpleasant smells and the fear of contagious diseases, 

 but after 17 years close study of the question and 

 handling of every known natural manure, I believe that 

 this latter is more healthy than any "patent" one pro- 

 duced and I regret to say that my impression of the 

 average American and English employe points to more 

 consideration for his own comfort, than that of the 

 plants of which he has charge. 



In whatever trade one engages, competition means 

 production at as cheap figure as possible and, as labor 

 ought to be the last to be cut down, other expenses of 

 production should be well considered. Therefore, for 

 the purpose of manuiing, divide your plants into two 

 classes, viz., flowering and foliage. Then let us say 

 you have access to some of the following manures: 

 horse, cow and bird manure, night soil, coal (bitumi- 

 nous), blood, fish offal and cut grass. 



Of course, in many places none of these are obtain- 

 able, or even allowed to accumulate, still the young flor- 

 ist who starts outside city or town with small means, 

 will be able to get some of the ingredients mentioned 

 and he will, with the following tables for mixing, find 

 himself quite a sum ahead at the year's end. 



FOR FLOWERING PLANTS; 



I. One busliel: 11/2 part horse manure 



% part cow manure 

 34 part night soil 

 in 50 gallons water; soak one week; make 300 gallons. 



II. One bushel: 1 part blood 



1 part fish offal 

 in 50 gallons water; soak two weeks; make 500 gallons. 



III. % bushel horse manura 



3 bushels cut grass from lawns 

 in 50 gallons water; soak one week; make 200 gallons. 



IIII. 1 peck bird manure 

 in 50 gallons water; soak one week; no further dilution. 



FOR FOLIAGE PLANTS EXCLUSIVE OF FERNS: 



One bushel: 1% part cow manure 

 IV4, part night soil 

 % part soot 

 in 50 gallons water; soak one week; make 500 gallons. 



FOR PERNS: 



Vz bushel: 1 part cow manure 

 1 part soot 

 in 50 gallons water; soak one week; make 500 gallons. 



The following rules should be observed: 



Set one day apart for manuring and let nothing in- 

 terfere with it. 



Do not manure when plant is dry. Might as well 

 use sulphuric acid. 



Keep fluid off leaves and flowers. 



No manure more than six months old should be used 

 for liquid purposes. 



Allow no wood shaving in stacking as these will cause 

 fungus. 



Stir well to obtain same consistency in each gallon. 



Sieve all manure from stockbarrel. 



Allow room in stockbarrel for fomentation. 



Where, as in private greenhouses, plants are kept 



to 50 gals, water) every three months should be given. 



For those who can not obtain any of the above men- 

 tioned manures, it will be necessary to find something 

 known to contain potassium, phosphorus and nitrogen 

 and I think they will find in bone meal as perfect a 

 fertilizer as can be got. Bone meal contains both plios- 

 phate and nitrogen, and as long as the soil is not al- 

 lowed to get dry, it can be used in large quantities. 



Nitrate of soda produces strong leaf and stem growth 

 and should be given as fluid; oO-l being a safe solution. 



Sheep manure is, in pure state, one of the best, but 

 of the many bags I have used, all have contained too 

 large an amount of foreign matter, viz., straw and dust, 

 as well as other animal manures. If pure, 1 lb. to 1 

 gallon of water, soaked for one week, will make 30 

 gallons. 



Wood ash contains all that is necessary for plant life, 

 but it is in my opinion one of the most tricky fertiliz- 

 ers, as one never knows the wood from which the ashes 

 have been produced. I have seen so much damage done, 

 through injudicious application, that I only use it if 

 nothing else can be got. 



A fertilizer rarely seen in the U. S. is Clay's, and I 

 presume the cost at first sight seems prohibitive, but the 

 quantity used need be so small to produce a splendid 

 effect, that the 112 lb. bag goes farther than 6 to 7 bags 

 of other fertilizers of the patent kind. I have used it 

 now for ten years and for exhibition plants it is indis- 

 pensable. 



A. Pengel. 



Rehmannia angulata 



1 grew this interesting plant four years ago with more 

 or less success, and some disappointment. It is truly 

 beautiful and the colored plate, supplement to Horti- 

 culture, Aug. 14th, is a just representation of both 

 save the latter is a better pink and the plant, -I believe, 

 is of a dwarfer habit. It is surprising to see such large 

 handsome individual flowers on such a comparative 

 slender stem. 



The seed was sown early in spring and the plants 

 were set in border about the middle of June and flow- 

 ered from August until early fall. The plants were very 

 free growing after the seedlings were potted up but like 

 many herbaceous plants it had a weedy appearance 

 though this was overcome somewhat by the attractive 

 flowers; these were fragile, of soft texture and rains 

 and winds were disastrous. 



As to propagation, the plant produces seed in abun- 

 dance and sends up innumerable offsets which if potted 

 and wintered in a frame with slight protection make 

 strong plants for the following season ; but as a pot plant 

 in flower I was most disappointed and I would advise 

 those who wish to grow it as such to go "slowly, for if 

 there is a "white-fly" in the neighborhood the plants will 

 prove the greatest attraction and there is no cure for 

 them indoors or out. 



