^ Qti^tiot) (DraLo^rv fc 



Fertilizers for Celery. 



1047. Sir, — What kind of fertilizers 

 should be used in connection with stable 

 manure for celery, and in what quantities ? 



Reply by Prof. Shutt, Central Experi- 

 mental Farm, Ottawa. 



If it is intended to use a commercial 

 brand of fertilizer, the writer would 

 advise from 700 to 1000 per lbs. acre of 

 one containing — 



Nitrogen 5 per cent. 



Available phosph. acid 6 n 



Potash 8 11 



(Note. — When purchasing a com- 

 mercial fertilizer, the buyer has a right 

 to demand a certificate of analysis.) 



The farmer and market gardener 

 will in many cases find it more econo- 

 mical to obtain the ingredients or con- 

 stituents that are used in compounding 

 artificial fertilizers, rather than the 

 manufactured product. For those 

 who desire to adopt this plan, we 

 recommend the following : — 



Per acre.. 

 Superphosphate (plain). . . 300 lbs. 



Muriate of potash . , 125 n 



Nitrate of soda 200 u 



If the soil is rich in well decomposed 

 vegetable matter (humus), the amount 

 of nitrate may be decreased to 100 lbs. 

 per acre. The superphosphate and 

 muriate should be thoroughly worked 

 into the soil before setting out the 

 celery plants ; the nitrate should be 

 given in two applications to the grow- 

 ing plants (some three weeks apart) 

 as a top dressing. 



It is not a good plan to apply heavy 

 dressings of fresh manure directly to 

 the plants, but the land should be pre- 

 viously well prepared by deep culture 

 and digging under thoroughly rotted 



manure. Further, it should be remem- 

 bered that the best returns cannot be 

 made unless the plants have a good 

 supply of water, even though the soil 

 is rich in plant food. 



Wood Ashes for Onions and 

 Potatoes. 



1048. Sir, — What quantity of wood 

 ashes should be put on an acre of onions, 

 and also one of potatoes ? 



Reply by Prof. F. T. Shutt. 



To be able to answer these questions, 

 save in a more or less indefinite way, 

 one should know something of the con- 

 dition of the soil, and its history as 

 regards previous cropping and manur- 

 ing. On soil in a fair state of fertility, 

 we should advise from 1500 to 2500 

 lbs. of wood ashes per acre for onions, 

 and from r2oo to 2000 lbs. for pota- 

 toes. 



(Note. — It is generally held that for 

 both of the above crops it is better to 

 apply the stable manure the year pre- 

 vious) 



Frank T. Shutt, 



Chemist, Dom. Exfl Farms. 



The following questions were put 

 to one of our lecturers at Horticultural 

 Societies, and at his request we are 

 having them answered in this Journal 

 by various authorities, as follows : — 



Questions 104Q to 1055 are answered by 



W. W. Gammage, London. 



1049. Sir, — What is the cause of the 

 leaves falling off the carnation plants \ 

 What is a cure ? 



Without seeing your plants, I would 

 say it is caused by the hot dry atmos- 

 phere of your rooms ; while the same 

 would follow from over-watering, or 



r 59 



