30 MANUEES. 



again and see what each has gained or lost. Van 

 Helmont planted a willow tree weighing 5 lbs. in 

 200 lbs. of dry soil. He watered it regularly, taking 

 care that no dust or dirt fell on the soil in which the 

 tree grew. At the end of five years he weighed the 

 tree and soil, and found that the tree weighed 169 ibs. 

 3 ozs. and the soil 199 lbs. 14 ozs. The tree had 

 gained 164 lbs. 3 ozs., and yet the soil had only lost 

 2 ozs. How, you ask, is this possible? The answer 

 is this : the tree's gain was made up of 2 ozs. of soil 

 properties, water, and also carbon absorbed in the 

 form of carbonic acid gas taken from the atmosphere 

 by the foliage. I quote this incident to show the little 

 a plant really takes out of the soil, and although the 

 amount varies according to the plant, yet it is but 

 little after all. But how mighty an atom can be, and 

 how far-reaching its effect is best instanced by medi- 

 cines and drugs, and of such character are manures. 

 Soils, as a rule, are more or less deficient of lime, 

 nitrogen, phosphates and potash. Lime acts directly 

 on the soil, sweetens it and improves its condition; 

 incidentally it keeps down pests and fungoid diseases. 

 Nitrogen promotes the development of the foliage 

 through which, as we have shown, carbon is received, 

 and which goes to make up the plant matter. Phos- 

 phates encourage root development, accelerate growth, 

 induce fruitfulness, and impart strength to the tree. 

 Potash aids in the process of assimilation, which, in 

 the words of an able chemist, transforms the atmo- 

 spheric carbon into the carbon compounds of starch, 

 sugar and cellulose, of which latter the cell walls of 

 all plant life are composed. It will be seen, good 

 reader, that the well-being of our Rose trees depends 

 to a very large extent on the nature of the soil and 

 manure with which we feed them. Most growers, 

 and wisely so, buy their fertilisers as complete com- 

 pounds, and trust to the knowledge of the merchants. 

 There are many fertilisers on the market, an3 of 

 " Phlo " Complete Fertilizers, manufactured by Pat- 

 tullo Higgs and Co., Ltd., of Orpington, the No. 4 

 is excellent for Roses, whilst the fertilisers of Messrs. 



