MANTTEE. 219 



"To use liquid manure very weak and very often is, 

 in fact, to imitate nature, than whom we cannot take a 

 safer guide. This is shown by the carbonate of am- 

 monia, carried to plants in rain, whiqh is not under- 

 stood to contain, under ordinary circumstances, more 

 than one grain of ammonia in 1 lb. of water ; so that 

 in order to form a liquid manure of the strength of 

 rain water, 1 lb. carbonate of ammonia would have to 

 be diluted with about Y,000 lbs. weight of water, or more 

 than three tons. Complaints which have been made 

 of guano water and the like are unquestionably refer- 

 able to their having been used too strong. 



"It must be borne in mind: 1, That liquid manure 

 is an agent ready for immediate use, its main value 

 depending upon that quality ; 2, that its effect is to 

 produce exuberant growth ; and 3, that it will con- 

 tinue to do so as long as the temperature and light 

 required for its action are sufficient. 



" These three propositions, rightly understood, point 

 to the true principles of applying it; and if they are 

 kept in view, no mistakes can well be made. 



"With fruit, the period of application should be 

 when the fruit, not the flowers, is beginning to swell. 

 Nothing is gained by influencing the size or color of 

 the flower of a fruit tree ; what we want is to increase 

 the size or the abundance of the fruit. If liquid 

 manure is applied to a plant when the flowers are 



