DIVISION OF HORTICULTURE. 



samup:l t. maynard. 



SPECIAL FERTILIZERS FOR GREENHOUSE CROPS. 



The question of the use of special fertilizers under glass is becom- 

 ing one of great importance, and is attracting nnich attention among 

 practical gardeners and scientific men. 



Even the best and most skilled gardeners sometimes find that their 

 soil, made up after the best formulas, fails to give the results expected. 

 The plant food seems to be unavailable or the plant lacks the vigor 

 to make use of it, and something more active is needed to give it 

 a start. 



To determine what special fertilizers will give the best results 

 applied to crops under glass, a series of experiments were started in 

 the winter of 1888 — 89, the results of which are deemed of sutficient 

 value for publication, although a longer series of tests may somewhat 

 modify the results thus far obtained. 



The following experiments were made in two houses built side by 

 side as nearl}^ as possible alike, one heated with steam and the other 

 with hot water. The space was divided into plots of equal size in 

 each house with the same number and kind of plants in each, the 

 aggregate number of blossoms from both plots being given with the 

 kind of fertilizer used. 



CARNATIONS— 1888 AND 1889. 



Six beds of thirty plants each were set in each house, the same 

 kinds in each and all as nearly the same size and vigor of growth as 

 possible. The soil was made moderately rich with stable manure and 

 fine ground bone, and the special fertilizer applied in liquid form by 



