132 



TOBACCO LEAF. 



seasons the fish are very plenty, while in others they are 

 scarce. In recent years, manufacturers have become 

 rather more independent of the fish catch, owing to the 

 increased consumption of nitrate of soda. While men- 

 haden is by far the leading source of fish scrap, there 

 are some fish preparations from the cod fisheries and 

 from the sardine or herring fisheries. The supply from 

 these sources is comparatively small, and they are not so 

 well prepared for fertilizing pur- 

 poses. Pure dry fish scrap is an 

 excellent source of nitrogen. 

 Its best results are obtained on 

 rather light land, as the more 

 compact nature of heavy soils, 

 together with the larger quan- 

 tity of water contained in such, 

 apparently retards the disinte- 

 gration of the scrap. It should 



FIG. 18. a SHOWS A METHOD OF FIXING THE CLOTH SO IT WILL LAST 

 FOR TEARS; 6, ITS APPLICATION TO THE PLANT BED. 



not be used in the hill, but broadcast only. It is less 

 to be desired than dried blood, but it is far more easily 

 obtained in the market, and it gives excellent results. 

 Care should be taken to distribute it evenly, for if it 

 accumulates in spots, an excessive fermentation results 

 that is distributed to growing plants. Six hundred 

 pounds of scrap can be used in place of 1,000 pounds of 

 cottonseed meal, or 1250 pounds of castor pomace. As 



