220 JOTTINGS OF A GENTLEMAN GARDENER 



Soot : This consists mostly of carbon, with a small 

 percentage of ammonia; 15 Ibs. per square rod can be 

 applied during the spring or summer, and forked in, a 

 calm day being chosen for the work. Or it may be used 

 for dusting over plants, and the soil surrounding them, to 

 ward off the attacks of pests. Soot water is made either 

 by putting i peck of soot directly into about 36 gallons of 

 water and stirring well ; or by putting this quantity into 

 a coarse bag and suspending the bag in a tub or barrel 

 containing the water. Soot water is a very safe liquid 

 manure. It can be applied freely and frequently to most 

 plants during the growing season. 



Wood Ashes : These form an exceedingly valuable 

 but incomplete artificial fertiliser. With wood ashes 

 gardeners always include the ash produced by burning all 

 vegetable rubbish such as shrub prunings, hedge clippings, 

 unrottable plant remains, as well as seeding and long rooted 

 weeds. The chief constituent, however, is carbonate of 

 potassium, with other valuable mineral salts. Wood ashes 

 are a potash manure, but they must be applied to the ground 

 in a dry state and never in solution. They can be used 

 any time in the spring, summer, or winter, forked or dug 

 in ; and are useful for any kind of soil. Apply at the rate 

 of about 6-8 ozs. per square yard. Wood ashes should 

 be collected from the remains of the bonfire as soon as they 

 are cold, and sieved to remove stones, sticks, etc. They 

 should be stored in boxes in dry sheds : if they get damp or 

 wet they will be spoilt. Coal and furnace ashes are not so 

 rich in fertilising materials, they are best employed as 

 already described for mixing with the clay of heavy soils 

 to break it up and improve it. 



Manufactured Guanos : These are not the same as the 

 natural guano referred to in the previous chapter. But 

 many of them are extremely good, and " complete " 

 in so far as they contain phosphates, lime, potash, and 

 nitrates. They are good all-round fertilisers, and are 

 supplied with printed directions which vary with different 

 makes 



