MANURES. 31 



Clay, of Stratford, Wm. Thompson, of Clovenfords, 

 Joseph Bentley, of Barrow-on-Humber, Hull, the 

 South Metropolitan Gas Co., L. T. Donelly, the 

 Molassine Co., 'have become famous. There arc, of 

 course, many good fertilisers, but I would advise my 

 readers who are about to use artificial manures only 

 to deal with firms of standingf^ whose goods can be 

 relied upon as confidently as can those oT tHe firms 

 mentioned in this chapter. " Clays " has become a 

 regular ** slogan " with nearly all gardeners, and 

 their fertiliser is a well-known Rose and plant manure 

 sold in small and large lots by those who deal in iior- 

 ticultural sundries. I have used Clay's fertiliser for 

 years, and have proved its great value. So also have 

 I used and tested in various ways Wm. Thompson and 

 Son's fertiliser, which is a grand Rose manure. 



Although used generally for vines, it is a 

 generous and safe manure for Roses in the open or 

 under glass. In the Rose border in the open, lightly 

 fork in i lb. to the square yard, and for pot Roses 4 lb. 

 to a barrowful of soil is a good mixture. The way to 

 test artificial manures is to follow implicitly directions 

 as to use, and then selecting your trees, feed them with 

 only one kind of fertiliser ; do not change the diet. Try 

 it on different kinds of Roses that are growing well, 

 for not every tree will respond to treatment. It is no 

 good over-feeding a sickly tree, for, like a sick child, 

 it does not want much food. Care and attention, yes ! 

 Possibly the trouble may be in the soil, in which case, 

 if many trees are affected, the wisest course to pursue 

 is to call in the specialist. Send a fair sample of the 

 soil to Messrs. Voss, w'ho will advise you as to what 

 is best to be done to correct the trouble. This firm 

 has made a great study of soils, plant diseases and 

 pests, and it is wonderful what can be done in a few 

 days if only proper methods are employed. The great 

 value of all manure lies in the time to apply and the 

 quantity to use. Some manures are quick in action, 

 as, for instance, Sulphate of Ammonia; others, such as 

 bone meal and shoddy, are slow, and of a more lasting 

 character. 



