2 78 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



September, 



Nitrate of Soda as an Aid to 

 Success. 



Ill this era of close competition in all pur- 

 suits of life, success comes only to the per- 

 son whose management is charaterised by 

 more than average shrewdness, and who 

 utilizes pretty much all new resources as 

 fast as modern researches in his particular 

 line of work place them at his disposal. 

 This is especially true of all occupations 

 which have soil culture for a basis. 



About the greatest expense connected 

 with gardening and fruit growing for mar- 

 ket is the cost of manure; and in this item 

 alone there is so much latitude for mis- 

 management and sinful waste on one side, 

 and close economy on the other, that 

 the course which each grower is induced to 

 take for the solution of this problem, often 

 alone determines the outcome, whether sig- 

 nal failure, or decided success. 



We have before this spoken of nitrate of 

 soda as the cheapest source of the available 

 nitrogen that the market gardener stands 

 so greatly In need of, and as a means to pro- 

 duce thriftiest growth without the exces- 

 sive use of high priced stable manure. 



WTiile English gardeners and farmers 

 make use of this substance quite extensively, 

 unfortunatly it is as yet comparatively little 

 appreciated in this country. Mr. .Joseph 

 Harris, who has done more than anybody 

 else to call the attention of American gard- 

 eners to the advantages they might derive 

 from the use of nitrates, gives in American 

 Agriculturist the following interesting data 

 on the subject. 



The chief point from which nitrate of 

 soda Is obtained is Iquique, Chili. There is 

 an export duty on it of ten dollars per ton. 

 Vast beds of it extend for two or three hun- 

 dred miles along the west coast of South 

 America. These beds are supposed to have 

 been formed by decomposing sea weed. 



There are two grades of nitrate exported, 

 one that is almost chemically pure, that is 

 used for the manufacture of nitric acid and 

 other chemical purposes, as well as for 

 cheap blasting powder and fireworks as a 

 substitute for saltpetre (nitrate of potash); 

 the other grade contains four or five per 

 cent, of impurities, principally common 

 salt, and Is sold at a lower price for manure. 

 This cheaper grade has not, as yet, been Im- 

 ported Into; this country, owing to the fact 

 that nitrate of soda Is almost unknown as 

 a fertilizer with us, and it does not pay the 

 Importers to keep It. The few farmers who 

 use nitrate of soda in this country have to 

 buy the high-priced pure article. 



In Europe where enormous quantities are 

 used for manure, especially for Sugar Beets, 

 the cheaper grade Is Imported ; It Is ground 

 fine, and the farmers have no trouble In 

 getting or using It. In this country the im- 

 porters do not dare to bother with the small 

 quantity at present used by farmers. 



The nitrate Is shipped In strong, coarse 

 bags holding about three hundred pounds 

 each, and by the time they arrive here, the 

 bags are more or less rotten, and before they 

 can be sent out the nitrate must be rebagged. 

 This Is done, not by emptying the old bag, 

 but by slipping a new and larger bag over It. 

 Before sowing the nitrate, empty the bags 

 on the barn floor and break up the lumps, 

 and run It through a sieve. A sieve used 

 for sifting ashes will do, though a finer one 

 would be better. Break up all the lumps 

 keep sitting and breaking until all will go 

 through the sieve. Four or five pounds of 

 nitrate will adhere to the bag and cannot 

 be removed. Our own plan Is to soak the 

 bags In a barrel of water and use the nitrate 

 by pouring the solution on the groimd 

 among Peach trees, Grape vines, Gooseber- 

 ries, Currant bushes, etc. In pouring it on 

 the ground care should be taken not to let 

 it splash on the leaves, it may Injure them. 



After sifting the nitrate, sow It broadcast, 

 but it should not be sown on the leaves 

 when they are wet with dew or rain. It 

 superphosphate is sown with nitrate of soda 

 the two may be mixed together, if dry and 

 the mixture is used immediately. If damp 

 and the mixture is allowed to remain un- 

 used for some weeks, there is more or less 

 loss of nitrogen. This is one reason why 

 our manxifactures of fertilizers do not use 

 nitrate of soda. There is not only a loss of 

 nitrogen, but the mixture becomes damp 

 and lumpy In the bags and is difficult to 



FIG. 3 



METHODS OF TILE-IRRIGATION. 



drill. For this reason nitrate of soda will 

 always have to be purchased separately, 

 and farmers will have to do their own mix- 

 ing. As soon as the nitrate producers In 

 South America learn that fertilizers are 

 used in this country they will probably 

 afford us the same facilities for getting It as 

 exist In Europe. At present not a pound of 

 fertilizer nitrate is Imported Into this 

 country, while the Imports to Europe last 

 year, largely of nitrate, aggregated -t.soT.OlHj 

 bags of about three hundred pounds each. 



Under-Irrigation with Tile. 



The control of soil moisture, by storing up 

 part of the water supply during a time of 

 e.xcessive rainfall for use at a subsequent 

 draught, is a problem that has long occu- 

 pied the minds of good cultivators. We have 

 begun to realize, that for general outdoor 

 garden crops soil soaking is the only effect- 

 ive method, and that mere surface sprink- 

 ling Is apt to do more harm than good. 



Our modem improved appliances for draw- 

 ing water from wells by the use of wind- 

 mills, have made It feasible to fill at com- 

 parative light expense, tanks constructed 

 somewhat above ground, and thus obtain 

 the necessary water, and pressure for flood- 

 ing smaller areas In a short time. 



Where acres are to be Irrigated, however, 

 arrangements of this kind will soon find 

 their limit of usefulness, and a more gener- 

 ous water supply is needed. This can some- 

 times be obtained by tapping a stream, pond 

 or canal; or by damming a stream of water, 

 above the land to be Irrigated. Opportuni- 

 ties of this kind are frequently met with; but 

 they are seldom utilized. 



Some years ago we obtained good results 

 by damming a little stream or brook flowing 

 by just above a }i acre patch of Celery, the 

 rows running with the natural slope of the 

 land, and letting near the whole of this water 

 run along in little channels made by the hoe 

 between the rows, until the whole ground 



had a complete soaking. It took tons of 

 water, but the result was gratifying. 



Ever since then we have been wishing to 

 prepare a piece of land for underground irri- 

 gation, In somewhat the same way, as we 

 find It described and Illustrated in a recent 

 number of Drainage and Farm .Journal. 



The use of common drain tile from two to 

 three or four Inches In size, says our contem- 

 porary, affords a very convenient and a suc- 

 cessful method of underground irrigation. 



Fig. 1 Illustrates a continuous line of tile 

 to be laid across the Incline or slope of the 

 land with very slight fall— sufficient to af- 

 ford a slow current of the water. A portion 

 of the water escaping through the joints of 

 the tile, rises by capillary attraction toward 

 the surface of the soil. The lines of tile are 

 laid at a depth of one foot or fifteen inches 

 below the surface. The excavations for the 

 tile may be made cheaply by plowing out the 

 trenches, passing back and forth with the 

 plow three or four times in the same furrow. 

 Little labor will be required to bring the 

 bottom of the trench to a regular grade. 

 The lines of tile should be laid as close as 

 ten feet apart; less will be better. The water 

 turned In at the stand-pipe A will pass along 

 the tile to the further end, which Is closed. 

 As much as one acre may be Included in one 

 system If the surface configuration will ad- 

 mit of It. The tile of the upper end may be 

 as large as five Inches, falling off to four, 

 three and two Inches. 



In the adoption of this or any other sys- 

 tem, reference must be had to the Inclina- 

 tion, minding always the law of gravity. 



Fig. 3 illustrates a main tile four or five 

 inches In size, or larger If necessary, with 

 branches of smaller tile three Inches or less, 

 the outer ends being closed. The sizes of 

 tile both for the mains and laterals may be 

 reduced In size as the further end is ap- 

 proached. The water enters at stand-pipe A, 

 following main pipe and branches to B. 



Fig. 3 Is a cross .section showing the effect 

 of under Irrigation on the soil. The water 

 naturally tends to sink in the soil, but not 

 so deep as to go beyond the feeding ground 

 of the roots of the growing crop — the capil- 

 lary action of the soil brings a portion to the 

 surface. It is well to remark at this point 

 that if two or three Inches of the surface soil 

 Is kept very fine by frequent stirrings that 

 it will serve as a mulch to prevent the moist- 

 ure evaporating so rapidly at the surface. 



This system of Irrigation has the advant- 

 age of cheapness of material, construction, 

 and the economy of water. In addition It 

 supplies the water where It is needed with- 

 out puddling the surface, and allows the 

 cultivation to go on without hindrance. 



A small area may be prepared at a time 

 for underground irrigation at a reasonable 

 cost, and when done it is a permanent im- 

 provement. A few hundred dollars and the 

 labor required with care, will put several 

 acres in condition to test the efficiency of 

 such system. 



Fruit Rooms. How Conducted and 

 Managed. 



The subject of fruit storage and storage 

 houses is yet one of paramount importance, 

 and, to judge from the repeated queries and 

 lively discussions at every horticultural 

 meeting, of greatest interest to the average 

 fruit owner. The veteran .J. .1. Thomas, In 

 a recent number of Xew York Trlliune, 

 ofl'ers some valuable suggestions in regard 

 to fruit rooms and their management. 



For common capacity, says he, the leading 

 and essential requisites are a building or 

 room with non-conducting walls, and ven- 

 tilating windows which may lie opened on 

 cool nights for the admission of cold air 

 and be closed again for retaining this cool 

 air while the temperature is higher outside 

 in the daytime. In very cold weather In 



