432 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



liberal supply of phosphates will be found advantageous. Some 

 garden crops, as cucumbers, pumpkins and squashes, thrive best 

 when their food is supplied in organic forms, as the humate com- 

 pounds derived from farm manures. A continual supply of avail- 

 able plant food is thus furnished to the growing crop. Onions are 

 benefited by a generous dressing of soluble nitrogen. Celery should 

 also be well supplied with soluble nitrogen combined with soluble 

 forms of mineral food. Tomatoes require general fertilizing. For 

 early maturity, nitrogen, as nitrate of soda, is beneficial, but an ex- 

 cess should be avoided ; for late maturity, farm manures and com- 

 mercial fertilizers containing less nitrogen can be used. 



In the manuring of fruit trees, it should be the object first to 

 produce thrifty trees, as subsequent fertilizing to produce fruit 

 will not give satisfactory results with poorly grown and partially de- 

 veloped trees. In order to promote growth, a liberal supply of a 

 complete fertilizer should be used. When an orchard is in full bear- 

 ing, there is as heavy a draft upon the soil as when a wheat crop 

 is grown. The quality of the fruit is often adversely affected by a 

 scant supply of plant food. A quick acting fertilizer containing 

 kainit, nitrate of soda and dissolved phosphate rock should be used 

 in the spring, followed if necessary by a light dressing of some 

 manure which yields up its fertility more slowly. Stone fruits are 

 benefited by the addition of lime to the fertilizer. 



House plants also respond to liberal applications of fertilizers. 

 Some of the odorless commercial fertilizers are very suitable for 

 this purpose, and a light application two or three times a month 

 will be found advantageous. 



In case only a small amount is needed, purchase of your drug- 

 gist and mix thoroughly the following ingredients : nitrate of soda 

 8 oz. ; sulfate ol potash, 6 oz. ; lime phosphate (mono calcium 

 phosphate), i8 oz. If the ingredients are pure, the mixture will 

 practically all dissolve in water and can be used in small amount 

 occasionally. (Two or three times a month at the rate of a half 

 teaspoonful dissolved in about a quart of water.) Such a fertilizer 

 will be found more hygienic and suitable for use in a dwelling than 

 ordinary manure. 



As all true horticulturists believe in good lawns and lawns espe- 

 cially need fertilizers, a few suggestions in regard to lawn fertilizers 

 are offered : In the preparation of a lawn, a mixture of six parts 

 of bone ash, two parts of muriate of potash and one part of nitrate of 

 soda can be applied at the rate of five to seven pounds per square 

 rod prior to seeding. A good lawn should have a subsoil that is 

 fairly retentive of moisture, one containing ten to fifteen per cent of 

 clay or a large amount of fine silt. Too much potash and lime en- 



