MANURES FOR HORTICULTURAL PURPOSES. 319 



in as much need of it as of the other elements. If wood ashes can 

 not be obtained, then the German potash or kali salts should be 

 tried. They should be used, however, only as a last resort. Kanit, 

 one of these salts, contains about 12 per cent of potash. The muri- 

 ate or chloride of potash contains about 50 per cent. These materi- 

 als should be used sparingly and frequently, because they are 

 soluble in the soil water and may be easily lost. The manure from 

 straw is quite rich in potash, as well as the ashes from burned straw. 

 After making- use of our stable manures and ashes, it is doubtful if 

 we are really in need of any of the German potash salts. 



It is a difficult matter to tell what is really needed in the way of 

 a manure. The appearance of the plant frequently indicates the 

 kind of fertilizer required. Whenever the foliag-e is small and the 

 color is of a yellowish tinge rather than green, the plant is in need 

 of nitrogen. The chloryphyl, which imparts the color to the plant, 

 contains nitrogen, and a lack of nitrogen will show itself in the 

 color of the plant. All leafy crops are greatly benefited by nitro- 

 gen. When plants are thrifty and vigorovas, there is then but little 

 need of potash. If the plants appear to lack vigor, are slow in grow- 

 ing, then potash should be tried. A deficient supply of phosphoric 

 acid will usually result in imperfect fruiting and seed production. 

 Excessive use of either of these three elements of plant food may 

 cause as serious trouble as a want of any one of thetn. An exces- 

 sive use of a nitrogen fertilizer will produce a most luxuriant foli- 

 age and will prolong the growth of the plant at the expense of 

 fruitfulness. Potatoes, when overstimulated with nitrate of soda, 

 for example, will produce a large amount of vines of a deep green 

 color, and instead of the plant maturing as it should it will keep 

 right on growing and will produce only a few very small tubers. 

 When nitrogen is supplied in reasonable amounts, it is very bene- 

 ficial; when used in excessive and unreasonable amounts, it is in- 

 jurious. 



The proper use of either home-made or commercial fertilizers re- 

 quires a great deal of care, because there is such a difference in 

 soils and equally as great a difference in the requirements of 

 plants. Some plants appear to be nearly helpless in obtaining 

 some one element, while they are able to procure other elements. 

 Turnips appear to have more difficulty in getting their phosphoric 

 acid, while mangels have more difficultj"- in obtaining nitrogen. 

 Some plants are what might be called helpers all around. 



As a rule, our manures should be more of a quick acting nature, 

 that is, the plant food should be given up readily and not slowly. 

 Although a plant may have a growing season of three or four 

 months, nevertheless it is the first six weeks that the plant food is 

 the moat desired. In fact, our plants demand their food in the early 

 stages of growth. Corn, potatoes and all horticultural crops take 

 up their food from the soil very rapidly. When the time has past 

 when the plant should have taken up its food, a later application of 

 some fertilizer will not do as much good as if the fertilizer had been 

 used earlier. A fertilizer should be like our horticulturists, active 

 and vigorous. 



