THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 87 



A RAMBLE AMONGST FERTILIZERS. 



By Mrs. Flora Martin. 



(Read le/ore the Field Naturalists' Club of Victoria, ^^th October, 1895.) 



Amongst the various means or ways of fertilizing the land we 

 may commence with weeds, which play a prominent part wherever 

 overstocking has been done. If it were not for many plants 

 noxious to animals the soil would be all washed away by the 

 rains or blown away by the winds. The dictionary meaning of 

 the word is misleading — namely, a useless or troublesome plant ; 

 a misplaced plant is more exact, as they can be turned to use 

 when their various peculiarities, and even diseases, are studied — 

 even those condemned by our laws, such as some of the thistles, 

 brambles, Bathurst burr, and many plants of ill fame at present. 

 Frequently the more noxious or offensive to stock the better the 

 fertilizer when used in the proper manner and in the right time 

 and place. The so-called Scotch thistles, having long tap-roots, 

 feed deeply, and bring to the surface much that is required for 

 herbaceous plants ; also, as it is an annual, when the plant dies, 

 where the long tap-roots have been the autumn rains penetrate 

 quicker and to a greater depth ; also, when thistles have been 

 planted thickly and ploughed under, the spiny leaves do not 

 collapse readily, so they aerate the soil as well as feed it with 

 mineral matter nicely prepared for herbaceous plants, especially 

 wheat. In ploughing under green plants for fertilizing, it is 

 desirable to sow a plant causing fermentation in the land. After 

 many experiments, straw, after having been used for animals' 

 bedding, has always been found to give a quicker fermenting 

 series. Thus sowing suitable fermenting plants before turning over 

 the sod is the same as putting yeast in bread, and with care 

 inducing a degree of warmth. This accounts for the great differ- 

 ence of opinion in the time to plough, some liking the warmth of 

 autumn, others waiting for the spring heat ; and it is important 

 to turn under a warmth and a ferment with green herbage to have 

 the greatest benefit in causing the so-called nitrification in the 

 soil. 



Many of these invaluable plants (though microscopic) are very 

 touchy in having alkalies, or even too much acid (they frequently 

 produce acidity) applied, and in this lies the want of success of 

 many mineral fertilizers sold to feed plant life — often, as the 

 farmer says, giving the best return in the second season. They 

 have been too strong for the ferments to flourish, and thereby 

 aerate the land, instead of which they, the " fertilizers," have to 

 lose part of their strength before being of service. It does 

 not follow that these ferments belong to a particular family. 

 Though rust on straw quickly causes fermentation, other plants 

 have accompanying plant-life, often causing disease in them, which 



