THE BANANA. ] 431 



tion and then returned to the soil as organic manure. 

 However a proper method of manuring will be indispen- 

 sable. Farmyard manure is a complete natural fertilizer. 

 Pigs' manure if obtainable in sufficient quantity is better, 

 containing more nourishing substances, and being always 

 well consumed is less liable to provoke acidity in the 

 soil. A surface dressing of manure should be given in 

 spring (April- May) and again in autumn (October- 

 November), each time at the rate of 25 to 50 kilog. for 

 each plant or clump. For the autumn manuring it is 

 advisable to make use of new manure mixed with much 

 vegetable refuse, the object being to supply fermentable 

 material to retain and increase the heat of the soil. The 

 surface dressing of spring is associated with deep digging, 

 which is replaced by trenching to a depth of 15 to 20 c.m. 

 every second or third year, and therefore it will be 

 advisable to make use of manure which has been well 

 rotted. For 'light porous red soils it is very desirable to 

 make use of wood ashes or of ashes from refuse incine- 

 rators, which contain much potash and may be considered 

 as a valuable potassic manure. Wood ashes are best 

 applied every second year in addition to the ordinary 

 dressing of stable or farmyard manure, as a surface 

 dressing in spring at the rate of 2 to 4 kilog. per plant, 

 and should be strewn on the soil one or two days before 

 watering, so that if they still contain any caustic potash 

 this may be acted upon by the carbon dioxide of the 

 atmosphere and transformed into carbonate of potash 

 before it comes into contact with the roots. 



Chemical manures are very useful as a corrective of 

 the soil, as they furnish in a highly concentrated and 

 readily assimilable form those substances which are 

 required for the well being of the plant. Super- 

 phosphates and Thomas's slag finely powdered may 

 be applied in summer when the plant is in active growth, 

 about one month or six weeks after the spring dressing 

 of organic manure. Our soils always contain a good 



