140 COCONUT PLANTER'S! MANUAL. 



those which cat> be mixed together at any time without fear of loss are 

 joined by a single thin line. 



A study of the chart will reveal the fact that all the "danger" 

 lines, that is t \> say the heavy black ones and the double lines, radiate 

 from two corners, viz., those numbered 2 and 3, and the index shows 

 that these numbers it}. resent Lime and Basic Slag. 



Considering corner No. 2 first, it will be seen that a heavy black 

 line connects Lime with Sulphate of Ammonia, No. 4, thus indicating 

 that these two substances should not be mixed together. The reason 

 for this is that lime attacks sulphate of ammonia and liberates ammo- 

 nia in the form of a gas which escapes into the air. The valuable ammo- 

 nia is thus lose and the manure rendered correspondingly useless. 



The same action takes place when Lime is added to Farm Yard 

 Manure or to Guano. Ammonia gas is set free and escapes into the air. 



A different reason is responsible for Lime being connected by a 

 heavy black line to Superphosphate, No. 1. Superphosphate is a sub- 

 stance in which insoluble phosphates have been rendered soluble by treat- 

 ment with an acid. If lime is added to superphosphate it causes the 

 phosphates to revert to the insoluble form, with the result that the 

 manure is noc nearly so valuable or so potent as it should be. 



So much for the black lines radiating from No. 2; now for the 

 double lines. 



No. 2 is connected by double lines with Potash Salts. No. 6, and 

 with Kainit, No 7, tue reason being that if lime is added to these sub* 

 stances the potash is gradually converted into potassium carbonate 

 which is very hygroscopic. The result is that the mixture becomes a 

 sticky messy taste most difficult to handle and impossible to spread 

 evenly in the soil. 



Now consider the other corner from which "danger" lines radiate, 

 No. 3, Basic Siag. This manure contains a large proportion of free lime 

 and therefore exactly the same precautions have to be taken with 

 basic slag as with lime. The heavy black lines radiate from No. 3, to 

 the same corners as fiom No. 2, the double lines also run to the same 

 corners, and the reasons necessitating these precautions are exactly the 

 same as those explained above in connection with lime. 



So you see it's ically quite simple after all! And if, when devis- 

 ing your mixtures, you follow the rules laid down in the chart you may 

 be perfectly confident that you will suffer no loss of valuable ingredients, 

 neither will your mixtures deteriorate by becoming sticky and difficult 

 to handle. 



