i888. 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



II 



strawberries but in all kinds of fruits anil 

 vegetables. Wliatever is raised let us give 

 more care, better attention, and in Straw- 

 berries nmlch them with tine straw or fine 

 manure early in winter or fall. 



If it is impossible to mulch in the fall then 

 let it be done in the spring, as it will no 

 doubt pay well. You take to jnarket 20 

 bushels of Strawberries, no matter how 

 large they are, but all dirty and poor look- 

 ing, and let your neighbor take in a similar 

 load of clean and bright frnit, and see the 

 difference in price. In Cleveland the latter 

 would find quick .sale at double the price. 

 Suppose the price for the dirty lot is $:3.00 

 per bushel and of the clean *4,()(). here on the 

 load of 30 bushels there would be a net 

 difference of just $40.00. This is supposing 

 a case that is often borne o\it by actual facts. 



Nitrate or Ammonia. 



BY N. y. L. 



In the January Popular Gardening, A. 

 C, Martinsburg, W. Va., asks about nitrate 

 of soda, kainit, and sulphate of ammonia in 

 the garden. I think the matter will warrant 

 a fuller reply than Mr. Harris' excellent 

 short reply in the same number. 



In using nitrates, it nuist be kept in mind 

 that they (with the exception of the nitrates 

 of alumina and of iron, which are never in 

 tiuantities so large as to make them of ac- 

 count) are readily leached out of the soil. 

 Hence nitrates should be applied only when 

 there is a crop or will immediately be a crop, 

 to use them. Otherwise it is generally 

 cheaper to apply nitrate forming manures. 

 Don't you think it would often be more 

 economical, Mr. Harris, t(j make at lea,s-t 

 two applications of those .t(K) pounds per acre ? 



Not so very long ago we were taught that 

 ammonia compounds were the sole source 

 from which plants could derive nitrogen; 

 but now it is laid down as a general rule 

 that nitrates are better than ammonium 

 compounds. To this there are exceptions, 

 and both rule and exceptions are of impor- 

 tance to gardeners. 



Julius Lehmann made his important ex- 

 periments on Indian Corn; undoubtedly the 

 results would apply to Sweet Corn as well. 

 He proved very emphatically that during 

 the first stages of growth the ammonium 

 compoxmds were much the best for Corn: 

 the plants given ammonium compounds be- 

 ing vigorous, while those given nitrates were 

 sickly. But after the plants were about 

 six weeks old, the ones given nitrates made 

 a vigorous growth, while those given am- 

 monium compounds made a poor growth. 

 However, Prof. Johnson has demonstrated 

 that Corn plants may be supported on 

 ammonia throughout. 



Lehmann's Tobacco plants given ammonia 

 did much better than those given nitrates. 

 Those given nitrates made a slow growth 

 until they approach maturity. 



Of Lupines, those given nitrates made the 

 heaviest growth of foliage; those given am- 

 monia the heaviest in'oduci of seeds. 



Echeubrecher found that Peas used little 

 nitrates, and could not bear an excess of 

 them in the soil. And Hosans found that 

 Pea.s did even better with nitrates than with 

 ammonium compomiiis. ^\11 the plants 

 were grown in peat charged with.ferric phos 

 phate; some had suljihate of potash, sulphate 

 of magnesia, and chloride of ammonium; 

 others had the nitrates of lime and of potash, 

 and sulphate of magnesia, and yet cjthers 

 hiul all; none did well. 



Wein found that Peas and Beans, in pure 

 humus and ash ingredients, were benefited 

 by nitrate of soda, while sulphate of am- 

 monia hindered theu- early growth and 

 actually killed some. It is supposed that 

 the plants that grew with sulphate of am- 

 monia, were favored by its conversion In the 

 soil to nitrates. 



In farm ex))eriinents in Germany, with 

 Sugar Beets, a certain weight of nitrate of 

 soda applied in the spring increased the crop 

 from (10 to 7h ])er cent more than the same 

 weight of sulphate of anmionia; but when 

 they were applied in the fall, the sulphate 

 gave almost as good results as the nitrate. 

 Clearly a good part of the nitrate was leached 

 from the soil during the winter, while a i)art 

 of the sulphate was converted into nitrates. 



Hosans exi)erimented on Onions with am- 

 monium compounds and nitrates. The 

 plants given nitrates did much the l)etter. 



Wagner concluded from field experiments 

 that ammonia salts applied to Potatoes did 

 more harm than good. The conditions were 

 such that the ammonia could not readily 

 change to nitrates. 



In field experiments with Potatoes, 

 Maercker found no great difference between 

 nitrate of soda, sidphate of ammonia, and 

 Penirtan Guano, when used by themselves 

 or with plain super-phosphates. Light dress- 

 ings of the nitrate gave comparatively larger 

 returns than heavy dressings. No good 

 resulted from nitrogenous fertilizers of 

 organic origin applied to Potatoes in the 

 spring, either by themselves or with suijer- 

 phosphate; and no good resulted from the 

 use of super-phosphate alone. But good re- 

 sulted from the use of super-phosphate and 

 an active nitrogenous fertilizer together. 

 Maercker also found that nitrate of soda 

 was a useful addition to farm yard manure, 

 (and that sidphate of anmionia was not), as 

 an application to Potatoes; and that the 

 application should be made at or shortly 

 after the time of planting. Dresehler, in 

 very elaborate farm experiments with Pota- 

 toes, found that nitrate of soda with super- 

 phosphates gave good results. 



Deherain found that large dressings of 

 sulphate of ammonia to Beets were inferior 

 to nitrate of soda; in fact, a positive hurt. 



It is a pity that we have not information 

 upon the relative benefit of nitrates and am- 

 monium compounds to the gardener. But 

 the upshot of the affair is, that he should use 

 the ammonium compounds only experiment- 

 ally until he has determined to what crops 

 they ai'e best applied, when best applied, and 

 whether alone or not. The same is true of 

 the use of nitrates, though not in near so 

 great degree. Gardeners annually spend 

 many thousands of dollars for fertilizers that 

 bring no adequate return; and many, by 

 such experience, are induced to give up the 

 use of fertilizers that properly used would 

 be highly profitable. Here is a field for our 

 private and pulilic experimenters even more 

 worthy than the testing of new varieties. 



Carnations for Cut Flowers. In Re- 

 ply to Inquiry No. 538. 



CHAS. E. PARNELL, QUEENS, N. Y. 



Cuttings should be put in about the first 

 of February, and when rooted pricked out 

 into shallow fiats, and placed in rows an 

 inch and a half apart each way. Then they 

 should be grown on in a cool house until 

 about the tenth of May, when they can be 

 planted out in rows 30 inches apart, the 

 plants being a foot apart in the row. They 

 will require to be cut back once before they 

 are planted outside. 



Carnation plants should be given a deep, 

 rich, loamy soil, and this during the sum- 

 mer sea.son should be well and deeply culti- 

 vated. This treatment should be kept up 

 until the middle of September, when the 

 plants should be carelully lifted and planted 

 out in the greenhouse benches one foot 

 apart each way. At intervals during the 

 summer the plants should be headed back 

 to obtain bushy specimens with from twelve 

 to fifteen vigorous shoots, but this cutting 

 back should be discontinued after the first 

 of August. After this all their wants will 



consist in keeping them neatly tied to stakes 

 and giving a temperature of fnmi V, to r,r,. 



In winter culture air should be frequently 

 given whenever the opportunity oft'ers, and 

 water as reiiuired, avoiding extremes of 

 drought and moisture. Fumigate slightly 

 twice a week and syringe gently at times in 

 bright, sunny weather. 



The most suitable compost in which to 

 grow Carnation plants is one composed of 

 two parts turf from an old pasture and one 

 l)art good stable manure. This should be 

 collected early in the spring an<l mixed so 

 that it will become well rotted when wanted 

 for use. The beds or benches should be well 

 drained and filled with this compost to the 

 depth of about six inches. 



Early Cabbage for Profit. 



Among the many good addresses delivered 

 at a recent Horticultural Institute in Can- 

 ada, one of particular value was the im- 

 promptu address on the above subject by 

 Mr. Barton, of Weston, a gentleman who 

 almost monopolizes the trade in Toronto 

 for extra early Cabbage. The following is 

 the substance of the speech: 



One of the first necessities is suitable 

 soil. No use trying to grow them on sandy 

 soil, no matter how rich. The soil required 

 is black loam, well underdrained, so that 

 stagnant water will not remain. Use plenty 

 of barn-yard manure; as to the quantity, 

 well, put on all you can, and then add a lit- 

 tle more. I can never get all that I want 

 for my land. Use abundance of ashes. 

 Never leave the manure in heaps about the 

 field, as it is under these places that the 

 insects lay their eggs, or remain in their 

 pupa state till they are hatched, when they 

 begin to be troublesome. So much for soli. 



I sow under glass in boxes, having good 

 drainage. First Henderson's Premier, next 

 Early Jersey Wakefield, and then Hender- 

 son's Summer Cabbage. The first lot are 

 sown early in February; a few days elapse 

 between the sowings. The earth is well 

 watered, the seed put on, and covered 

 lightly with dry soil. In four or five days 

 the plants will begin to show. Keep them 

 dry, and in a couple of weeks they will be 

 ready to transplant into boxes, which hold 

 1.50 plants; they are yet in the seed leaf. In 

 three weeks change into boxes of the same 

 size, but putting only fifty plants in each 

 box. After another couple of weeks they 

 will be strong and in the rough leaf. Keep 

 them still dry. There is more danger from 

 damping off than from dryness. The boxes 

 are now removed to the frames to harden 

 the plants. Keep covered at night at first, 

 till gradually accustomed to cold. When 

 the plants have lost that bright green ap- 

 pearance, similar to Paris Green, and their 

 stems have become bronzed, if there are no 

 signs of frost, leave off the covers at night. 

 I like a couple of strong windy days and a 

 cold night or two for hardening. 



The last week in April, or first week in 

 May, set out in the field. The plants will 

 be able to stand a lot of freezing now with- 

 out taking hurt. About the second or third 

 week in June, they will begin to flag, and 

 little insects attack them. Now then water, 

 water, I say. What, carry water for 20,000 

 plants? we have no well, or creek! I hear 

 some of my hearers say. Well, my friends, 

 did you ever notice that upi)n the hottest 

 days, if you take a glass to the pump to get 

 a drink of cold water, the outside of the 

 glass will be covered with moisture, like 

 dew. I want you to water your Cabbage on 

 a plan something similar to that. When 

 the atmosphere is apparently the dryest, it 

 is then charged with most moisture; and 

 by cultivating the soil, continually keeping 

 it stirred, you attract that dampne.ss. and 

 the plants and soil around them drink in 

 that moisture. The earth is also by capil- 



