Fertilizing field and Garden. 



SOME GUIDING LINES FOR MANURING. 



"Theory has during the last decennia , acted as pioneer to prac- 

 tice, and by degrees the distrust has been somewhat less against 

 innovations. Not that every proposal, invention, or manure 

 should be swallowed without due enquiry and critical reflection; 

 but the prejudices of our old practical farmers against everything; 

 new must be more and more wiped away as a reciprocity between* 

 theory and practice is absolutely necessary to rational progress/" 

 This I found amongst notes, which I am in the habit of making; 

 whether copied, or my own, I cannot say. 



It is, however, an undertaking to successfully teach even the 

 most intelligent the complex and wonderful phenomena which our 

 greatest scientists have laid bare, but I hope this treatise may lead' 

 to personal investigation and independent experiments. With 

 these our young, and many more of the old, farmers may become 

 convinced that their old ways can be superseded by something 

 better. 



Should afterwards anything hereafter stated prove to be in- 

 correct, do not blame me too much. With the best intentions, it 

 is impossible to know everything, or to foresee all contingencies. 

 We have all to lelarn, and you will at least acknowledge* that my 

 principal object, to stimulate thought, can to some extent be 

 attained. 



Professor Maercker's remarks on mixing of commercial manures 

 may find here a place, as not quite, agreeing in what I shortly 

 stated in the preface : "You may mix nitrate of soda with potash 

 salts, superphosphate, Thomas phosphate, and no Warm will be 

 done. Sulphate of ammonia and guano you may mix with potash 

 salts and superphosphate, but never with Thomas phosphate, for 

 that is alkaline, and the lime in it does not combine harmoniously 

 with ammonia ; it drives it o-ff. Superphosphate and Thomas phos- 

 phate must not be mixed, because the lime in the* Hatter renders 

 the soluble phosphoric acid in the superphosphate insoluble. The 

 mass becomes heated, insoluble! phosphoric acid is formed, and 

 thereby the plants will be deprived of just that which should have 

 been supplied to them in the superphosphate for their first growth. 

 Thomas phosphate may be mixed with potash salts without any 

 chemical change taking place ; but lime, silicic acid, and alkalies 

 form cement. In the Thomas phosphate) you have lime and silicic 

 acid ; alkalies you have in potash salts. By mixing them a kind 

 of cement is formed, which after eight or ten hours becomes harcL 



