MANURES 15 



as possible with the hoe, for this keeps the moisture in, 

 while the cracks allow it to escape." 



ARTIFICIAL MANURES 



The subject of artificial manures is a complicated one, 

 and needs more study than is possible for the average 

 Rose amateur if new experiments are to be tried. It 

 will be found almost essential to the growing of really 

 good Roses to employ some chemical aid, and many are 

 the substances to which recourse may be had. Among 

 the chemical manures which are used as additional food 

 for the plant we find nitrate of soda, superphosphate of 

 lime, sulphate of ammonia, potash, sulphate of iron and 

 basic slag. All these are used, sometimes alone, some- 

 times in combination, and each has its special use. The 

 most important of them to the Rose-grower is super- 

 phosphate of lime, and all mixtures for fertilising Roses 

 should contain a good proportion of this. It is excellent 

 for helping to produce good strong healthy growth, 

 with healthy clean foliage : on damp soils this end is 

 better achieved by the use of basic slag. Both nitrate 

 and sulphate of potash are used to promote healthy 

 growth, and are good to aid the production of fine buds. 

 Sulphate of magnesia, sulphate of lime, and sulphate of 

 iron are all employed, the last named being said to give 

 brighter colour to the flowers. Nitrate of soda and 

 sulphate of ammonia are both occasionally used, but not 

 so commonly as the others named, as they both seem to 

 promote the growth of foliage rather than of flowers. 

 The second is the best known, as it is used by exhibitors 

 with the intention of brightening the colour and increas- 

 ing the size of their exhibition blooms. One of its chief 

 uses is to aid in liberating other plant foods already 

 present in the soil but not available to the rootlets of the 

 Rose until combined with this chemical, 



