2/O SOILS AND FERTILIZERS . 



of special crops, as spinach and cabbage, an additional 

 dressing of nitrate of soda may be used. Asparagus 

 should preferably be fertilized after harvesting the 

 crop, so as to encourage new growth and the storing 

 up of reserved building material in the roots for next 

 year's growth. 



For early maturing garden crops, a fair but not ex- 

 cessive amount of nitrogen should be applied; also a 

 liberal supply of phosphates will be found advantageous. 

 Some garden crops, as cucumbers, pumpkins, and squash, 

 thrive best when their food is in organic forms, as the 

 humate compounds derived from farm manures. A 

 continuous supply of available plant food is thus fur- 

 nished to the growing crop. Onions are benefited by 

 a generous dressing of soluble nitrogen. Celery also 

 should be well supplied with soluble nitrogen combined 

 with soluble forms of mineral food. Tomatoes require 

 general fertilizing ; for early maturity, nitrogen, as 

 nitrate of soda, is beneficial, but an excess should be 

 avoided ; for late maturity, farm manures and com- 

 mercial fertilizers containing less nitrogen may be 

 used. For general garden purposes, a complete fer- 

 tilizer is preferable to an amendment, as a better bal- 

 anced growth is secured which favorably affects both 

 the yield and the quality. 



325. Fruit Trees. - - In the manuring of fruit trees, 

 the first object is to produce thrifty trees, as subsequent 

 fertilizing for fruit will not give satisfactory results with 



