February 23, 1872. ] 



JOUBNAL OF HORTICULTURR AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



173 



valuable inquiriei?, it would seem that those fertiliKers in -which 

 ammonia is copiously iireseut produce the best crojjs of Car- 

 rots. Let us remember what has been done in this inquiry in 

 Scotland. It is not very long since that the HiKhland Society 

 awarded their gold medal to Mr. J. Stevenson, of Cumnock, 

 for his experiments on this root (Tranx. Hipli. .S'oc, vol. 1SG4, 

 p. 14<)). He found that the best soil for the Carrot is a sandy 

 loam, either naturally deep or made so. The farm manure for 

 it— thirty to forty loads per acre— should be ploughed-in during 

 the early winter ; that of the horse is very excellent for this 

 root. Mr. Stevenson adds -4 cwt. of guano, and 6 cwt. of salt ; 

 at Cumnock the Altriucham Carrot seed (8 to. 10 lbs. per acre) 

 is not sown till after th , middle of April. The Long Red 

 Altriucham, when a large crop, produces from 15 to 20, the 

 common Red Altriucham from 11 to 14 tons per acre. From 

 the result of his trials, Mr. Stevenson concludes that 35 tons 

 of horse dung a year old, five hundred gallons of tank urine, 

 4 cwt. of guano, and G cwt. of salt per acre is the best dressing, 

 and that fresh-made farmyard dung, or cow dung, or ashes, 

 are not so suitable for Carrots. Soot is an excgUent manure 

 for Carrots (soot contains a considerable amount of ammonia) . 

 The farmer will find, in using soot, that its effect on light soils 

 is materially increased by adding to it from eight to ten bushels 

 of s.ilt per acre. 



Then we have the report (Mark Lane Expresx) of the trials 

 of Mr. C. D. Hunter, in the season of 1871, upon Mr. W. Law- 

 son's, Blennerhasset Farm. The results of his trials are given 

 in the subjoined table : — 



Manures per acre 



1. Nomanui-e 



2. Superphosphate 6 cwt., rauria:e of 



potash 2 cwt., aud Kulphate of 



ammonia 3 cwt 



S. Same as No. 2, but ouly 2 cwi. of 

 sulphate of ammonia 



4. Supci-phosphate 6 cwt., and sul- 



phate of ammonia 2 cwt 



5. Rupei-phosphate 6 cwt., and munate 



of potash 2 cwt 



C. Superphosphate 6 cwt., Bait 2 cwt., 



sulphate of ammonia 2 cwt 



7. Supei-phosphate 6 cwt., sulphate of 



magnesia 2 ci^i;., and sulphate of 



ammonia 2 cwt 



Upon these results Mr. Hunter">emarks that "The value of 

 potash for Carrots upon this soU is well shown by comparing 

 Nos. 2, 3, and 5 against Nos. 4, 6, 7, the three potash plots 

 gi^ang nearly 7 tons per acre more weight. In plot 2 the extra 

 cwt. of sulphate of ammonia does not seem to have been of 

 use, but the reverse; and No. 5, which got more, and was on 

 inferior land, comes so well up to Nos. 2 and 3 that probably 

 1 cwt. of sulphate of ammcuia per acre would have been suffi- 

 cient. The salt and sulphate of magnesia in Nos. 6 and 7 

 show a Uttle better than No. 4, but not sufficient to warrant 

 their use. From former experiments I would conclude that 

 Carrots require less ammonia than Potatoes, and would suggest 

 as a suitable dressing per acre for Carrots, 6 cwts. superphos- 

 phate, IJ cwt. muriate of potash (or 3 cwts. of potash salts), 

 and 1 cwt. of sulphate of ammonia." Then, again, the ap- 

 plication of the dung of the pigeon has been found a very 

 beneficial application to C.irrots. Now this manure contains 

 a very considerable amount of ammonia. When analysed by 

 Professor Anderson {Tranx. Hifih. Soc, vol. 18G4, p. 170), he 

 found in one huudi'ed parts of the dung of the — 



These valuable examinations, we must remember, were made 

 of the dung of birds living chiefly on vegetable matters. 

 Wliat would be the result upon the composition of their dung 

 by feeding them upon a considerable proportion of animal 

 food we can only judge from analogy. Thus, if we examine 



the excreta of those bu-ds which feed chiefly on fish, we find 

 that it abouuds with uric acid and ammonia. From these 

 analysations we learn why the Peruvian farmers so much 

 prefer the recent guano evacuated by the sea birds to that of 

 the older more decomposed deposits. Dr. Wollaston found 

 that tlie rfcently-voided excreta of the gannet, when dry, con- 

 taiued hardly anything but urio acid ; aud Coindet found in 

 one hundredparts of the solid excrement of the sea eagle- 

 Ammonia 9.23 



Uric Acid 84.65 



Phosphate (if llnic ol3 



100.00 



Several comparative experhuents, made some time since by 

 Mr. A. .1. Main, of AAliitehiU, in East Lothian, are in accord- 

 ance with the exammations of the chemist. He emploj-ed 

 both pigeon's and hen's dung, in conjunction with farmyard 

 manure, as a dressing for Carrots, with a result per acre of 

 which the following is a tabular statement : — 



, , Carrots produced. 



Manure employed. rfons. Cwt. 



Horae-made mauui-e, 24 tons 12 13A 



Home manure 16 tons, pigeon's dung 4 cwt 14 6| 



Home manure 16 tons, hen dung 4 cwt 11 12? 



Home manure 16 tons, Peruvian guauo 4 cwt 13 I65 



Another inquiry suggests itself — viz., Whether the growth of the 

 Carrot might 'not be promoted by being mixed with other 

 plants? I learn from a Scotch clergyman, tliat in his garden 

 in StirUngshire he can only grow Carrots successfully mixed 

 with Onions. 



WINDOW GAKDENING. 



The very ring of the name of window gardening is pleasant, 

 and suggests hosts of beautiful parlour gardens, with the Ivy 

 twining around the edges of the window sash ; or on a stand in 

 front of the pane is a pot of Geraniums, and over all hangs a 

 basket filled with drooping plants. We are glad to see a growth 

 of taste for plants ; a genuine love for flowers promotes the 

 love of home. 



Much that is essential to success in the in-door culture of 

 plants must be learned from experience. One great mistake is 

 in a wrong choice of the soil ; many often suppose that any soil 

 will do: heuce, especially in cities and villages, they are often 

 apt to choose soil from the back yard, unfit for plants' needs, 

 being either too dry, devoid of fertilising material, or already 

 exhausted by continual di-afts from the numerous roots of 

 the plants around. The best, and in fact ouly soil, should be 

 a compost of loam, one part ; sand, one part ; leaf mould, one 

 part ; and well-decayed cow manm-e, a fourth part. The use 

 of the sand is to assist drainage ; the proportions of the 

 manure may be varied according to the needs of the plant. 

 Ivies, for instance, need a rich soil, but bulbs generally need 

 little or none, pure sand being much the best for the last, 

 wliich should never come in contact with manure. The sand 

 should be well mixed with the compost. In the bottom of 

 every vessel, box, or basket, there should be laid a few bits of 

 broken crockery for the more perfect flow and drainage of 

 surplus water. Most vessels have holes in the bottom also, 

 but in hanging baskets this cannot be expected, so the crockery 

 must take its place. 



Select plants of good short-jomted stocky habits vnth leaves 

 of healthy look ; large specunens are not desii-able. It is better 

 to get those plants which are well started, and ,are growing 

 finely, and then let them develope gradually. When you have 

 obtained your new plants, be careful of too sudden a change from 

 the old quarters to the new. This hasty transition is very 

 trying to plants. The hot dry air of the hvuig-room is a severe 

 test upon any plant brought from the cool outer an-, or the 

 moist atmosphere"of the florist's greenhouse. It would be 

 best that tliis change should be gradual. Just bring them in- 

 doors, and place them in a room without a fire for a short 

 time. If you have a hght dry cellar-, this will be a good place, 

 if not Uabie to frost. Here they need only moderate watering. 

 After a short time they can be transferred to the window ; here 

 they must enjoy plenty of Ught. In mild weather, pull down 

 the' upper window and' ventilate the an ; keep their foliage free 

 from dust and insects ; wash them with a sponge, and s.vriu&e 

 the plants with a good supply of water once a-day. If the 

 water soaks away in the soil rapidly, then it is in good con- 

 dition. Never w'ater when the soil is already full of moisture ; 

 never water at mid-day, or when the sun is shining. _ 



Avoid very high temi>eratures, and also guard against low 

 ones ; a tem'perature of 60° to 70° in the day, equable aud urn- 



