ARTIFICIAL FERTILISERS 215 



sulphate. These are all soluble in water, some more so 

 than others ; they all contain a high percentage of nitrogen, 

 for ammonia is composed of nitrogen and hydrogen. 

 Ammonium nitrate is the quickest acting artificial manure, 

 and must be used cautiously ; i oz. per 3 or 4 gallons of 

 water is a good quantity as a liquid manure, and oz. 

 per square yard of soil as a dressing in the spring or summer. 

 It should not be given to plants like Lupins, Galegas, and 

 Sweet Peas ; nor should any other compound of ammonia, 

 unless mixed with other chemicals, except that ammonium 

 phosphate may be applied to Sweet Peas as a liquid manure, 

 using -| oz. per gallon of water. Ammonium carbonate 

 may be used as a dressing and as a liquid food in the same 

 quantities as the nitrate. Ammonium chloride may be 

 applied as a dressing in the early spring to beds at the rate 

 of i oz. per square yard. Ammonium sulphate as a 

 dressing, 1-2 ozs. per square yard in the spring and summer, 

 or as a liquid |-i oz. per gallon. 



Compounds of Lime : The chemical name for lime is 

 calcium oxide. The chief compounds useful for our 

 purpose are Calcium carbide refuse, Calcium carbonate, 

 chloride, cyanamide, nitrate, nitride, oxide, phosphate, 

 sulphate, and superphosphate. 



Calcium carbide refuse is somewhat similar to slaked lime, 

 but it still contains some unchanged carbide. It is applied 

 to soils more as a cleanser than as a fertiliser in the early 

 autumn, or even as late as February if it has been well 

 exposed to the air first, at the rate of 3 ozs. per square yard. 

 Calcium carbonate is better known as chalk. If it can be 

 got in a crushed state it should be added to light sandy 

 soils at the rate of as much as 60 Ibs. per square rod in the 

 winter, and will do untold good. If, however, it can only 

 be got in lumps, spread the lumps over the surface in the 

 same manner as clay or marl in the early winter so that the 

 frost may break them up ; and in the spring rake off any 

 big lumps for application the following year, and dig the 

 rest in. Calcium chloride is of little use to the gardener, 

 except that soils may be watered with a weak solution 



