MANURES 



532 



MARANTA 



(in one hour), 23 ; coal-ashes, 14 ; lime (part carbonate), 

 ii ; crushed rock-salt, 10 ; gypsum, 9 ; chalk, 4. 



The absorbing power of a manure is much influenced 

 by the state in which it is presented to the atmosphere. 

 In a finely divided state mere capillary attraction assists 

 it ; hence the importance of keeping the soil frequently 

 stirred by hoeing, &c. But a mere mass of cotton, by 

 means of capillary attraction, will absorb moisture from 

 the air ; yet it parts with it at a very slight elevation 

 of temperature. It is of importance, therefore, to ascer- 

 tain which are the manures that not only absorb but 

 retain moisture powerfully. The following results of 

 our experiments throw some light on this point : 



Pig-dung evaporated to dryness at a temperature of 

 106*, and then moistened with six parts of water, re- 

 quired for being reduced to dryness again, at the above 

 temperature, 135 minutes ; horse-dung under similar 

 circumstances, 90 ; common salt, 75 ; soot, 75 ; rich 

 soil, 32 ; chalk, 29 ; poor soil (siliceous), 23 ; gypsum, 18. 



These experiments point out a criterion by which we 

 easily ascertain the comparative richness of any two 

 given soils or manures : the most fertile will be most 

 absorbent and retentive. 



Some manures increase the growth and vigour of 

 plants by stimulating their absorbent and assimilating 

 organs. The stimulating powers of excrementitious 

 manures arise from the salts of ammonia they contain. 



Sir H. Davy found vegetation assisted by solutions 

 of muriate of ammonia (sal-ammoniac), carbonate of 

 ammonia (volatile salt), and acetate of ammonia. Night 

 soil, one of the most beneficial of manures, surpasses all 

 others in the abundance of its ammoniacal constituents 

 in the proportion of three to one. It may be observed, 

 that the nearer any animal approaches to man in the 

 nature of its food, the more fertilising is the manure it 

 affords. We have no doubt that a languishing plant 

 one, for example, that has been kept very long with its 

 roots out of the earth, as an orange- tree recently im- 

 ported from Italy might be most rapidly recovered, if 

 its stem and branches were steeped in a tepid, weak 

 solution of carbonate of ammonia ; and when planted, 

 an uncorked phial of the solution were suspended to one 

 of the branches, to impregnate the atmosphere slightly 

 with its stimulating fumes. 



Manures are also of benefit to plants by affording 

 some of the gases of the atmosphere to their roots in a 

 concentrated form. A soil, when first turned up by the 

 spade or plough, has generally a red tint, of various 

 intensity, which, by a few hours' exposure to the air, 

 subsides into a grey or black hue. The first colour 

 appears to arise from the oxide of iron which all soils 

 contain, being in the state of the red or protoxide ; by 

 absorbing more oxygen during the exposure, it is con- 

 verted into the black or peroxide. Hence one of the 

 benefits of frequently stirring soils ; the roots of in- 

 cumbent plants abstract the extra dose of oxygen, and 

 reconvert it to the protoxide. Coal-ashes, in common 

 with all carbonaceous matters, have the power of strongly 

 attracting oxygen. Every gardener may have observed 

 how rapidly a bright spade of iron left foul with coal- 

 ashes becomes covered with rust or red oxide. 



Manures assist plants by destroying predatory vermin 

 and weeds. This is not a property of animal and vege- 

 table manures they foster both these enemies of our 

 crops. Salt and lime are very efficient destroyers of 

 slugs, snails, grubs, &c. 



Stable-manure, and all decomposing animal and 

 vegetable substances, have a tendency to promote the 

 decay of stubborn organic remains in the soil, on the 

 principle that putrescent substances hasten the process 

 of putrefaction in other organic bodies with which they 

 come in contact. Salt, in a small proportion, has been 

 demonstrated by Sir J. Pringle to be gifted with a 

 similar septic property ; and that lime rapidly breaks 

 down the texture of organised matters is well known. 



There is no doubt that rich soils, or those abounding 

 in animal and vegetable remains, are less liable to change 

 in temperature with that of the incumbent atmosphere 

 than those of a poorer constitution. This partly arises 

 from the colour of the soils. Some manures, as salt, 

 protect plants from suffering by sudden reductions of 

 temperature, by entering into their system, stimulating 

 and rendering them more vigorous, impregnating their 

 sap, and, consequently, rendering it less liable to be 

 congealed . 



MAPA'NIA. (Derivation not explained. Nat. ord. 

 Cyperaceae.) 



A stove sedge used as a fine foliage plant. Seeds; 

 divisions. Fibrous loam, leaf-mould, or peat and sand. 

 M. hu'milis (low). Leaves dark green above, tinged 



with purple beneath. Malaya. 1879. 

 lu'cida (shining). See M. HUMILIS. 

 pandanifo'lia (Pandanus-leaved). 4. Leaves arching, 

 green, 2 ft. long. 1897. 



MAPLE. A'cer. 



MA'PPA PORTEA'NA. See MACARANGA PORTEANA. 



MARANHAO NUTS. BertkollStia. 



MARA'NTA. Arrow-root. (Named after B. Maranti, 

 an Italian botanist. Nat. ord. Marants [Scitaminaceae]. 

 Linn. I'Monandria, i-Monogynia. Allied to Canna.) 



A kind of arrow-root is obtained from the rhizomes, 

 or fleshy roots, of some of the species. Stove evergreens ; 

 division of the roots in spring ; rich, sandy loam, with 

 nodules of peat. Winter temp., 50* to 60* ; summer, 

 60 to 85. 

 M. Albe'rti (Albert's). Leaves peculiarly variegated. 



1906. 



ama'bilis (lovely). Brazil. 

 angustifo'lia (narrow-leaved). See STROMANTHE 



TONCKAT. 

 ,, arge'ntea, (silvery). Leaves silvery-grey, with deep 



green lines. Brazil. 1884. 

 argyra'a (silvery). See CALATHEA ARGYR.SA. 

 arundina'cea (reed-like). 4-8. White. S. Amer. 



" Arrowroot." 

 ,, variega'ta (variegated). 2. Leaves banded with 



green and white. 1886. 

 asymme'trica (unsymmetrical). Leaves dark green, 



with silvery-grey bands. 1882. 

 Baraqui'nii (Baraquin's). See CALATHEA BARA- 



QUINIANA. 



,, be'llula (little-pretty). See CALATHEA BELLULA. 



bi 'color (two- coloured). $. White. July. Brazil. 



1823. 



,, ,, devosia'na (Devosian). 

 ,, kerchovea'na (Kerchovian). J. Leaves with 4-5 



brown blotches. Brazil. 1879. 

 ,, makoya'na (Makoyan). $. Leaves pale green, 



with dark green blotches. 

 ,, massangea'na (Massangean). Leaves bluish-green, 



purple. 

 mi' nor (smaller). J. White. April. S. Amer. 



1828. 



Bino'ti (Binot's). See CALATHEA ZEBRINA BINOTI. 

 Chantrie'ri (Chantrier's). Leaves grey-green, with 



oval-oblong bands of deep green. Brazil. 1897. 

 ,, chimborace'nsis (Chimboracan). See CALATHEA CHIM- 



BORACENSIS. 



Closo'nii (Closon's). Leaves dark green, variegated 

 with pale yellow. Brazil. 1908. 



conci'nna (neat). See CALATHEA LEOPARDINA. 



conspi'cua (conspicuous). Leaves small, with yellow- 

 green bands. Brazil. 1885. 



depre'ssa (depressed). J. Leaves with chocolate- 

 brown blotches. Brazil. 1880. 



fascia'ta (bundled). See CALATHEA FASCIATA. 



Fascinator (Fascinator). J. Leaves silvery in the 

 centre, purple beneath. Brazil. 1894. 



,, Gla'dioli (Gladiolus). See MYROSMA GLADIOLI. 



,, gratio'sa (favoured). Leaves silvery-grey, with green 

 bands. Brazil. 1884. 



,, iconi'fera (image-bearing). Foliage plant. 1887. 



,, illu'stris (lustrous). See CALATHEA ILLUSTRIS. 



i'ndica (Indian). See M. ARUNDIKACEA. 



,, insi'gnis (remarkable). ij. Leaves bright-green, 

 with olive-green markings. Brazil. 1902. 



,, Jacqui'ni (Jacquin's). See STROMANTHE LUTEA. 



Kegelja'ni (Kegeljan's). See CALATHEA KEGELJANI. 



kerchovea'na (Kerchovean). See M. BICOLOR KEF- 

 CHOVEANA. 



kummeria'na (Kummerian). See MYROSMA KUM- 



MERIANUM. 



legrellia'na (Legrellian). See CALATHEA LEGRELLIANA. 

 Leo' nee (Leona's). J. Leaves green, with grey 



variegation. 1893. 

 leopardi'na (leopard-spotted). See CALATHEA LEO 



PARDINA. 



