218 



HORTICULTUEE 



February 14, 1914 



Here's a grass test. Alplmno Humus was spread on the terraced part, and the customary barn- 

 yard manure on the rest. 



The Alphano being in pondered form, was raked in. The manure being cbaraeteristioally lumpy 

 and full of litter, eventually had to be raked off. tarrying along much of its worth. 

 Three days before this photograph was taken, all the grass was cut. The very marked contrast 

 in the height and evident depth of color of the grass between the two portions, tells its own 

 story of the real worth of .'\lphano Humus. 



A Talk to Those Who Are Not Awake 

 to the Merits of Alphano Humus 



HUMUS is the very backbone of 

 any productive soil. The greater 

 its humus content, the higher its 

 productive power and the longer its 

 fertility endures. 



The difference between freely work- 

 able, fertile top soil and "packy" or 

 "gravelly," unproductive sub-soil, is 

 the difference in the amount of Hu- 

 mus it contains. 



Humus itself is just simple, plain, 

 every day decayed vegetable niatter. 

 When you walk in the woods, it's 

 the humus that gives that soft, 

 springy feeling. It's the Humus that 

 fills itself full of water and gradu- 

 ally liberates it, feeding the springs 

 and streams. It's Humus in the 

 wood soil that plays so important a 

 part in preventing the rains from 

 rushing down the hills and mountain 

 sides, tilling the streams and caus- 

 ing flood disasters. 

 Humus it is that makes a heavy soil 

 lighter, and light soils heavier. It's 

 Humus that absorbs the nitrogen 

 and other plant foods and combines 

 them, making readily available foods 

 for plant growtli. 



It's Humus that holds the moisture 

 In soil, fortifying it against the 

 summer's protracted heat. Without 

 Humus, soils are sterile. 

 So much tor Humus in general; now 

 a word about Alphano Humus in 

 particular. 



Down at Alphano, New Jersey, are 

 deposits of Humus, varying in depth 

 from IS inches to .5 feet. Scientific 

 authorities estimate that it lias been 

 thousands of years in forming. They 

 state it to be composed of highly 

 decayed vegetable matter, with 

 which is mixed the remains of fish 

 and animal life, together with the 

 mineral matter washed down from 

 the neighboring hills. 

 When this deposit is dug up and 

 ■ put in piles, it "heats." This proves 

 beyond all dispute, that it is far 



A Ciinneitiiut Estate had some side 

 hill land so void of Humus, it would 

 scarcely grow beans 5 inches high. 

 Ali)hano Humus was spread on and 

 plowed in. This celery grew on that 

 ver.v same land that ver.v same year. 



5 Bags for ¥5. .S13 a ton. $8 per ton 

 by the carload. F. O. B. Alphano, N. J. 



from inert, but lively with the bac- 

 teria of ferment, so essential for 

 rendering the nitrogen available as 

 well as increasing the activity of the 

 bacteria already in any soil. 

 This bacterial action is highly im- 

 portant in aerating the soil, and in 

 the uniting of the various soil prop- 

 erties to increase their availability 

 for plant roots. 



This Alphano Humus, of Nature's 

 own make, we dig. dry, and prepare 

 in a powdered form, already for 

 y<>ur use. 



It is rich in nitrogen, carrying as 

 much as from :i per cent, to 4 per 

 cent. : against one-half of one per 

 cent, contained in barnyard manures. 

 It analyzes high in phosphates, lime 

 and the various other plant life giv- 

 ing properties. Being in powdered 

 form, you can easily incorporate it 

 in the soil. Being odorless, you can 

 use it at any time, anywhere, abso- 

 lutely without olijectiou. Being en- 

 tirel.v sanitary, it overcomes the 

 menace of disease distribution, ever 

 lireseut with animal manures. 

 Being so much stronger than such 

 manures, and lasting so much longer 

 than chemical fertilizers, it has dis- 

 tinct advantage over either. Being 

 S') reasonalile in price, you can use 

 it freely, and knuw that you are not 

 only stimulating the soil, but giving 

 to it a long enduring fertility. 

 We welcome the opportunity to 

 prove what Alphano Humus will do 

 tor you, based on what it has done, 

 and is doing for others. 

 I'se it this Spring on your lawn — 

 rake it in — not off. as you do with 

 Ip.irnyard litter. Dig it around your 

 shrubs — use as a mulch for rhodo- 

 dendrons — garden with it. Give it a 

 fair trial. 



Send for the Humus Book; it tells 

 all about Humus in general and 

 .Mphano Humns in particular. 



ALPHANO HUMUS CO., newTorkTIty 



