MANURES AND FERTILIZERS 97 



plants have yielded their first crop, works in a fairly heavy layer of 

 sheep manure and gets good afterresults. 



Horn shavings is next in importance to bonemeal and, like bone, 

 represents valuable plant food in a highly concentrated form. 

 For the final shift of the Geraniums there is nothing quite like a 

 liberal dose of horn shavings; a 10-in. potful to a barrowful of soil 

 will do a lot of good. For Chrysanthemums in light soil a liberal 

 amount of bonemeal and horn shavings is always to be recom- 

 mended mixed with the soil after it is in the benches, but before the 

 plants are set. And there is nothing better for Cinerarias. 



Chicken manure contains a lot of plant food, but it is far safer 

 to use it outdoors than under glass as long as bone or sheep manure 

 are to be had and usually they can be obtained. 



Horse manure, when well rotted (which is the only state in which 

 it should be used under glass), doesn't differ greatly from cow ma- 

 nure, but hasn't quite the same food value. If not applied too 

 heavily it will always be of benefit as a top dressing or for giving a 

 bench a mulching, as well as mixed into the soil. There is one thing 

 in favor of using manure, namely, in the case of a heavy soil outdoors 

 a good layer of either horse or cow manure worked in will help 

 to make it porous and on that account alone be of great benefit. 

 This holds good also in benches containing heavy soil. 



Tankage is getting to be quite popular with many growers. 

 It derives its name from the fact that in the slaughter houses, pieces 

 of bone waste, blood and scraps of meat are all dumped into huge 

 tanks. They are cooked, the fats and grease are skimmed off and 

 the contents afterward dried. This naturally makes a good, all- 

 round fertilizer and in the lack of stable manure is used today by 

 many successful large growers. 



Blood in a dried state is one of the most valuable fertilizers. 

 Containing a high percentage of nitrogen it is to be recommended 

 whenever a stimulant is required. If you want to change the color 

 of a starved Boston into a dark green, apply blood; and the same 

 with Carnations in January. 



WOOD ASHES AND LIME 



Wood ashes are of great value. It stands to reason that they 

 are bound to contain a lot of valuable plant food in one form or 

 other, coming as they do from wood, which took years to develop, 

 requiring and absorbing food during all those years, of which a lot 

 is contained in mineral form in the ashes. Spreading wood ashes 

 over land and plowing them under cannot help but be of benefit. 

 For lightening a heavy soil outdoors there is nothing finer than coal 

 ashes, which, however, contain practically no available plant food. 

 They are much made use of in Europe, but here we waste them. 



