44 VEGETABLE GARDENING 



On the contrary, when soluble potash and phosphoric 

 acid are in excess in the soil, the plants will have a tendency 

 to produce a large amount of seed and fruit in proportion 

 to straw or wood and to mature early. This is a desirable 

 condition for heaviest grain and seed crops. In the case 

 of bush and tree fruits, it conduces to fruitfulness, early 

 maturity of wood, and hardiness. These qualities will 

 be most evident if the nitrogen is under a normal quantity 

 in the soil. 



It must not be understood from this that any of these 

 elements are hurtful, for they are absolutely necessary in 

 proper proportions to secure best results; but these effects 

 follow when they are greatly in excess. 



Fresh Manure. Except in few instances, fresh manure 

 in the garden soil is not beneficial, and its presence hinders 

 intensive cultivation and causes the land to dry out quickly. 

 If applied to certain root crops, such as parsnips, it causes 

 the formation of a large number of side roots, rather than 

 the long, smooth root desired. Fresh manure does not 

 afford plant food for some time, since it must first be de- 

 cayed before it is of any value to plants. Rotten manure 

 has much of its plant food in an available condition. 



Manure for Early and Late Crops. Much more manure, 

 and more thoroughly rotted manure, is required for early 

 than for late crops. This is undoubtedly due to the fact 

 that early in the season fermentation goes on very slowly, 

 and unless plant food is supplied in a quickly available 

 form it is of no immediate use to the plant. On account 

 of the rapid fermentation which goes on in the soil later 

 in the season, crops that mature later than the middle of 

 the summer may be able to use the plant food that was 

 locked up in fresh manure in the spring. For instance, 

 the results from fresh cow manure may be almost nothing 



