I 



MIXED FERTILIZERS 57 



nitrogen in the form of urea, but in the form of uric acid. The 

 nitrogen is, therefore, not very soluble in water, although it 

 decomposes in the soil fairly rapidly. The material varies 

 considerably, but about i per cent, nitrogen, i per cent, 

 potash, and 2 per cent, phosphoric acid will represent a rough 

 average. 



Seaweed is a useful fertilizer, available on sea-coast 

 districts, where outlying rocks are covered with weed. 

 During certain stormy seasons of the year a large amount of 

 seaweed is thrown up on the coast. Where this becomes a 

 nuisance local authorities are sometimes prepared to carry 

 the seaweed some distance inland by traction engine, 

 but ordinarily the farmer's own carts will have to tackle 

 the business. Seaweed contains about 80 per cent, water, 

 \ per cent, nitrogen, i per cent, potash, and J per cent, 

 phosphoric acid. One of the best uses for seaweed is 

 admixture with the ordinary farmyard manure heap. If 

 a heap be composed of alternate layers, six inches of sea- 

 weed and six inches of farmyard manure, the amount of 

 manure at the farmer's disposal is doubled, and the general 

 average composition not very seriously affected. Sea- 

 weed can also be used as a convenient mulch for protecting 

 young plants against either drought or frost. 



An important series of mixed organic manures are included 

 in the group known as composts. These are conveniently 

 made by mixing lime with all kinds of waste organic material. 

 Blood, to which has been added about 2 per cent, quicklime, 

 sets into a solid cake, which dries in the air, and breaks down 

 to a powder. Lime mixed with hedge clippings, weeds, 

 etc., will gradually work down into a convenient material 

 for subsequent use. Attempts to ferment resistant articles, 

 like bones, with either the drainings from the manure heap 

 or fresh urine, are not very satisfactory, because nearly half 

 of the nitrogen is lost during fermentation. 



Vegetable or leaf mould is very valuable to gardeners, 

 being more like rich soil than farmyard manure. In forestry 

 work much importance is attached to beech mast, as it 

 greatly improves the soil and facilitates subsequent growth, 



