For June, 1922 



185 



ARTIFICIAL FERTILIZERS 



Their Use in Spring and Suiiiiner. 



THERE are still many gardeners who are almost afraid to use 

 artificial fertilizers, and who, in consequence are finding them- 

 selves in difficulties owing to the high cost and genuine scarcity of 

 dung, on account of the rapid supersession of horses by machinery- 

 It is'for such gardeners that the present article is written, not for 

 the man who has used artificial fertilizers for the last twenty years. 

 for he, of course, w-ill "know all about it." 



From this tim.e forward until about the middle of September 

 artificial fertilizers should be in full use. It is often the early and 

 the late applications tliat count most. Crops can be rushed through 

 a danger period or pushed on to be ready for a certain date. One 

 cannot do this with liquid animal manure whatever anyone may say 

 to the contrary, and one certainly cannot get the beauty of color 

 in either flowers or vegetables without "artificials" that one can 

 with them. 



Like almost everything else, artificial fertilizers have been class- 

 ified and, if I may say so, over-classilied. Nearly every garden 

 writer has some pet classification of his own. He either class- 

 ifies them as regards to the crops that they benefit most, or as re- 

 gards their solubility in water, or. again, as to the metals of which 

 they are compounds. The present writer would like to abolish all 

 this over-classification, which makes the subject confusing and so 

 often leads to disaster in the case of the inexperienced. Let them 

 be divided into four great groups and stick to that. 



The most important group is that of which the principal in- 

 gredient is nitrogen. Nitrogenous artificial fertilizers comprise 

 nitrate of soda, sulphate of ammonia, nitrate of ammonia, nitrate 

 of lime and a few others. All are very soluble in water and re- 

 markably quick in action. They produce leafage and nothing else, 

 therefore they should not be used for flowers or vegetables where 

 undue quantities of foliage are tmdesirable. If, however, crops are 

 wanted to make leaf growth, they should be given nitrogen in 

 one of the forms named above, using it at a rate not greater than 

 one ounce to the gallon of water or half an ounce to the square 

 yard. 



The second group is that of potash manures. Potash itself is a 

 metal which few gardeners have seen and none need want to see. 

 Its salts, however, are exceedingly useful : in fact, such crops as 

 potatoes and. indeed, many roots can hardly be grown to perfec- 

 tion without them. Being a metal, potassium combines readily 

 with acids, and one of its compounds, saltpetre, is often used as 

 a nitrogenous manure. In reality, however, it can be used for 

 supplying both potash and nitrogen to the soil, and it will be 

 noticed that it does not make plants "run to leaf" to the same ex- 

 tent as a purely nitrogenous fertilizer. Phosphate of potash is an- 

 other of its combined salts, but this will be treated in the next 

 section. 



Beyond these are two salts of potash for use namely, sulphate of 

 potash and wood ashes, which contain a percentage of carbonate 

 of potash. I need hardly give particulars of the value or use of 

 wood ashes since even the veriest amateur understands it. Sulphate 

 of potash is a valuable fertilizer for application throughout Spring 

 and Summer. It may either be used dry at the rate of one ounce 

 to the square yard or in, solution at the rate of 1 ounce per gallon 

 of water. 



The third group of artificial fertilizers consists of those supply- 

 ing phosphates to the land. I have already mentioned phosphate of 

 potash in this coimection, but it is not recommendable for general 

 use owing to the difficulty of storing it. It has a disagreeable 

 habit of deliquescing, and must therefore be kept in a damp-proof 

 tin if it is to be stored at all. About a quarter of a pound of 

 phosphate of potash is ample for a ten-gallon cask of water. 



Among other phosphatic fertilizers superphosphate of lime is 

 probably the best known, and an efifort should be made to obtain 

 a sample with the highest possible percentage of solubility. There 

 is always a considerable amount of superphosphate which will not 

 dissolve, and it is therefore a good plan to make up a stock solu- 

 tion and allow the sediment to settle. If a pound of superphos- 

 phate of lime is dissolved in a tub of water holding about eight 

 gallons and then one part of this stock solution used with every 

 two parts of water, a liquid fertilizer quite strong enough 

 for ordinary purposes will be the result. It does not pay to give 

 superphosphate too strong on account of its being a very acid 

 manure. While potash fertilizers increase quality, phosphates 

 induce earliness. 



The last group consists of general artificial fertilizers. One of 

 these, which deserves carefully experimenting with, is sulphate of 



iron, as it intensifies the color of both flowers and foliage. In 

 large doses it is very poisonous, but I have successfully used it 

 up to about half an ounce to the gallon of water. — The Garden. 



CLIMBING PLANTS IN HOUSES 



THERE arc differences of opinion regarding the employr.aent 

 of climbing plants in the greenhouse or the stove, more 

 especially, it must be said, when these climbers are planted w'ith 

 a view to covering, partially or wholly, the roof of the house. 

 Many good plantsmen object to such plants, giving as their reason 

 the fact that climbing plants interfere with the light and make 

 the objects grown beneath them drawn, weakly, and unsatisfac- 

 tory. Other equally good plantsmen maintain that (especially in 

 lofty houses) the use of climbing plants is effective, and that by 

 the employment of suitable plants for growing beneath them no 

 great difference can be noted between plants grown in partial shade 

 and others grown in a house the roof of which is entirely unob- 

 scured. Both schools of thought obtain adherents, but it may be 

 said, as in most cases, that there is a middle way, by following 

 which climbing plants may be cultivated with but little detriment 

 to others grown beneath them. The middle course, naturally, is 

 to plant such things as are not too rampant in growth, and to 

 thin these rather freely when occasion requires. Two plants, for- 

 merly popular, may be mentioned as examples of climbers to 

 avoid. These are Cobara scandens and the Tacsonias generally. 

 The commoner Passifloras, too, might also be classed as objection- 

 able, while, however useful it may be. Acacia dealbata might very 

 well be added to the black list. Apart from these, other climbing 

 plants, if judiciously used, need not be tabooed. It is, of course, 

 difficult to decide at w'hat time thinning ought to be done — more 

 especially in early Spring, when some climbers will be coming 

 into bloom, while others are only starting into growth. The most 

 ought to be made of the former, while the latter should receive 

 attention early, so that the young shoots may not be entangled. 

 In training it ought to be remembered that formality is objection- 

 able and not only from a natural point of view, but it is irrational 

 as well. Loose ties and. in some cases, festooning the growths 

 are very much more satisfactory in every other way. When thin- 

 ning becomes imperative let it be done freely and in anticipation. 

 Above all, and especially in Spring, a close watch should be main- 

 tained on climbing plants, so that outbreaks of aphis may be 

 promptly dealt with. Light fumigations are better given on alter- 

 nate evenings than a heavy dose in one evening. A few plants may 

 be suggested which are not of too rampant growth. For the 

 stove Passiflora qiiadrangidaris. Clerodcndron Balfourianwm, and 

 Thunhergialaurifolm; for the greenhouse Lapagerias, AbutUon 

 Boule de Xeige, A. Golden Fleece, and A. Sanglant, Plumbago 

 capensis and its white foam, and Habrothamus (Cestnitn) ele- 

 gans. — Gardening Illustrated. 



SOME WEEPING TREES 



WEEPING TREES have conciderable decorative value, and 

 for many positions in the garden, where an upright, tall- 

 growing specimen would be out of place, they might with 

 advantage be planted. It is as isolated specimens that trees of 

 pendulous habit look their best, since any overcrowding does not 

 permit of the development of a well-balanced head. Where space 

 has not to be considered, the weeping forms of the Ash. Beech. 

 Lime, Elm. and Birch are worth considering. But the object in 

 view is to point out a few trees for gardens of moderate size. 

 They are mostly flowering trees, suitable for either lawn or 

 shrubbery. Foremost are the flowering Cherries. These are quite 

 hardy, free flowering, and are among the striking features of the 

 month of May. One of the best varieties for the purpose under 

 notice is Ccrasus rosea pendula, with single rose-colored flowers. 

 Quite as good in every respect is the white-flowered C. Mahaleb 

 pendulct. Another gorgeous face of Spring-flowering trees is the 

 flowering Crabs. No pen picture can adequately describe the 

 beauty of these, for they are all blossom, and May is the month 

 they are at their best. The best weeping variety is P\rus Mains 

 pendula. _ "Elise Rathke," and the color of the blossom is pink, 

 P. salicifolia is another of unusual charm, owing to the silvery 

 hue of the Willow-like leaves. The Snowdrop tree. Halcsia tetrap- 

 tera. with drooping fascicles of white flowers resembling Snow- 

 drops, is also pretty in the shrubbery. For a similar purpose 

 Cytisns scoparius Andreanus may be included, the bright golden- 

 j-ellow flowers, with a reddish-chesnut tinge in the centre, being 



