2o6 JOTTINGS OF A GENTLEMAN GARDENER 



percentages of nitrogen, phosphates, potash, and lime, 

 all of which are, after fermentation, in a soluble condition. 

 Use about 3 cwt. of farmyard manure per square rod. 



Stable manure is of next importance. It contains more 

 phosphates than any other simple animal manure especially 

 if the animals have been fed on grain. It is very useful on 

 a heavy soil. For digging or trenching strawy manure is 

 best ; for forking or turning into existing borders what is 

 known as " short litter " is the best and easiest to manage. 

 About 4 cwt. of stable dung can be dug into a square rod, 

 or rather more if the soil is poor. 



At the present time stable manure is very hard to get in 

 a condition one would like to have it. Farmers are 

 economising by bedding the animals on peat-moss litter 

 or sawdust and shavings instead of straw. The manure 

 so obtained is bad for gardens, though that from peat-moss 

 litter is not so bad as that from sawdust. Sometimes it 

 must be used, in which case it is well to dig the ground 

 early, and in February to apply lime at the rate of 4 ozs. 

 per square yard, forking it well in. This will sweeten the 

 soil and kill any fungus spores which may be spreading. 

 If preferred, a soil fumigant can be supplied, see Chapter 

 XVII. 



After stable manure comes cow manure. It contains 

 about two-thirds the quantity of potash contained in 

 stable dung, and only about half the quantity of phosphoric 

 acid. The amounts of nitrogen and lime are more nearly 

 similar, but they also are below those contained in stable 

 dung. The use of this manure in a fresh state is not 

 recommended for general garden purposes ; on a very light 

 sandy, gravelly, or chalky soil, it is not much good using 

 it at all, unless it is fairly fresh and dug in during the early 

 spring, when a dressing will show its effect all the summer. 

 But it is useless to dig it in in the autumn or early winter, 

 for no trace of it will be left in the spring. 



Cow dung is heavy stuff in a fresh state, and 4 or 5 cwt. 

 is not too much for a square rod of land. Here again if the 

 cattle are bedded on wood shavings or sawdust the value 



