Manuring' Flo-wers and Pot Plants 



Otto Herold, "Waterloo, Ontario 



EVERYWHERE market gardeners 

 are awakening to the fact that 

 artificial fertihzers must be used 

 in order to reap the largest possible 

 harvest, from their fields. By a judici- 

 ous application of plant food to the po- 

 tato or vegetable crop, it as a common 

 occurrence to obtain twice and even 

 four times the amount of moneyinvested. 



For a long time people thought that 

 flowers and pot plants did not require 

 any artificial fertilizer, but experiments 

 have discredited this belief. As a 

 rule, pot plants, shortly after being 

 transplanted, are somewhat retarded 

 in growth and lose their fresh and 

 briUiant color. The reasons given for 

 this are, first, because the nourishment 

 contained in the small quantity of soil 

 in the pot is soon exhausted and partial- 

 ly leached out by the frequent water- 

 ings; and, secondly, because the amateur 

 gardener is unable often to procure first- 

 class potting soil. 



Most people have their flower garden 

 on the same piece of land year after 

 year ; consequently it is no wonder that 

 the soil is gradually exhausted of its 

 fertility, and a deficiency of available 

 plant food is the outcome. In many 

 cases the required elements are not 

 replaced when stable manure is applied, 

 because the nitrogen is in excess in 

 proportion to the amount of phosphoric 

 acid and potash present, thus causing a 

 rank, leafy growth with only a few 

 flowers. 



One will be surprised at the wonderful 

 results accruing from a judicious and 

 economical application of potash, phos- 

 phoric acid, and nitrogen to pot plants 



and flowers. Ordinary fertilizers, as 

 used for field purposes, may be applied 

 with a fair degree of success, but owing 

 partially to their insolubility they 

 should be mixed with a top soil before 

 potting the plants. It is much better 

 to purchase the separate ingredients 

 and the following amounts have been 

 found by carefully carried-out experi- 

 ments to suit the requirements of most 

 garden soils. Per perch: Superphos- 

 phate, three pounds; sulphate of potash, 

 one and a half pounds; sulphate of 

 ammonia, one and a half pounds, or 

 nitrate of soda, two pounds. 



As has been previously stated, these 

 contain very small quantities of the 

 necessary ingredients in an available 

 form, and though good results may have 

 followed their use, yet for pot plants 

 it is much preferable 

 to obtain the highly 

 concentrated chemicals, 

 as it is generally neces- 

 sary to apply in a liquid 

 form. The following 

 mixtures are recom- 

 mended: one part nit- 

 rate of potash (salt- 

 petre) ; two parts super- 

 phosphate, eighteen to 

 twenty per cent. ; two 

 parts sulphate of 

 ammonia, or two parts 

 nitrate of soda. Dis- 

 solve half an ounce 

 of the mixture in one 

 gallon of water and The Result 



apply say once a week, 

 being careful not to allow the liquid to 

 come in direct contact with the foliage. 



In the minds of many people a 

 fertilizer is a term usually associated 

 with an unpleasant and disagreeable 

 smell, similar to guano or animal refuse; 

 but this mixture is odorless, clean and 

 very convenient to handle. 



The accompanying photographs of 

 flowers are representative experiments 

 that we conducted last season. The 

 results are so pronounced that no 

 further comments are necessary. Suf- 

 fice it is to say that the plants fertilized 

 produced larger and finer flowers of a 

 much healthier growth. 



There is no surer way of one becoming 

 convinced of the great value of artificial 

 fertilizers in manuring than by making 

 a small experiment with flowers in 

 one's own garden and also with pot 



UNFERTILIZED 



COMPLETE 



FERTILIZER 



of Fertilizer Experiment with Cyclamen 



plants. Knowledge gained in this man- 

 ner will be of inestimable value. 



Varieties of Euonymus W^ortK Grcwing' 



RodericK Cameron, Niagara Falls, Ontario 



EUONYMUS radicans and several 

 other variegated forms of Euony- 

 mus are quite hardy here. I find, 

 however, that they are the better of 

 some protection from the sun in spring 

 when frozen, otherwise the foliage will 

 bum badly. The plants should be 

 planted on the north side of the wall or 

 fence. They will do grandly among 

 large rocks, to cover stumps or climb up 

 bare trunks of trees for three or four 

 feet. Euonymus linearis may be used 

 to good advantage for the same purpose. 

 I'his one makes a very neat vine against 

 a verandah pillar. It is quite hardy 



•The creepins; euonymus, Euonymus riultcans, de- 

 •cnbed in the January issue, is hardy in Canada only 

 near Nlajrara Falls and in the favored districU of British 

 . Columbia. 



and fruits early in the fall. Euonymus 

 Japonicus radicans and the several varie- 

 gated forms make grand borders if 

 planted around beds of evergreens. 



The above varieties, as well as the 

 common bearberry, Arctostaphylos uva- 

 ursi, periwinkle, Vinca minor, along with 

 our native Euonymus Americanus , variety 

 obovaius, make good subjects to plant 

 in shaded places, under trees where grass 

 will not grow. There are many such 

 spots in our parks and private grounds. 

 On the other hand, these plants will 

 accommodate themselves just as well to 

 be planted on dry, sloping banks. For 

 either purpose, place some rocks among 

 the plants. The rocks will catch and 

 retain the leaves about the plants to 



protect them until spring, when they 

 can be taken away. It is at this time 

 that the plants will show themselves to 

 good advantage, making such spots 

 green at once. 



I have in my mind, at this moment, 

 the front of the Government House 

 grounds in Toronto, facing on King 

 Street. I question if there is a worse- 

 looking spot to-day on any private 

 grounds in Canada, where they should 

 be the best. I do not want to be mis- 

 understood. I mean only the front fac- 

 ing King Street, a wide, bare stretch of 

 ground and not a green leaf or blade of 

 grass to be seen there. 



There are a number of grand decidu- 

 ous varieties of -Euonymus, spindle tree, 



