MAN 



t 



MAK 



stimulating powers of excrementitious J principle that putrescent substances 

 manures arise from the salts of ammonia 

 they contain. 



Sir H. Davy found vegetation assisted 

 by solutions of muriate of ammonia (sal- 

 nmmonmc), carbonate of ammonia (vola- 

 tile salt), and acetate of ammonia. Night 

 soil, one of the most beneficial of 

 manures, surpasses all others in the 

 abundance of its ammoniacal constituents 

 in the proportion of three to one. It 

 may be observed, that the nearer any 

 animal approaches to man in the nature 

 of its food, the more fertilizing is the 

 manure it affords. We have no doubt 

 that a languishing plant one, for ex- 

 ample, that has been kept very long with 

 its roots out of the earth, as an orange- 

 tree recently imported from Italy might 

 be most rapidly recovered, if its stem 

 and branches were steeped in a tepid, 

 weak solution of carbonate of ammonia ; 

 and when planted, an uncorked phial of 

 the solution were suspended to one of 

 the branches, to impregnate the atmo- 

 sphere slightly with its stimulating fumes. 



Manures are also of benefit to plants 

 by affording some of the gases of the 

 atmosphere to their roots in a concen- 

 trated form. A soil, when first turned 

 Tip by the spade or plough, has generally 

 a red tint, of various intensity, which, by 

 a few hours' exposure to the air, subsides 

 into a grey or black hue. The first colour 

 appears to arise from the oxide of iron 

 which all soils contain, being in the state 

 of the red or protoxide; by absorbing 

 more oxygen during the exposure, it is 

 converted into the black or peroxide. 

 Hence one of the benefits of frequently 

 stirring soils; the roots of incumbent 

 plants abstract the extra dose of oxygen, 

 and reconvert it to the protoxide. Coal- 

 ashes, in common with all carbonaceous 

 matters, have the power of strongly at- 

 tracting oxygen. Every gardener may 

 have observed how rapidly a bright spade 

 of iron left foul with coal-ashes becomes 

 covered with rust or red oxide. 



Manures assist plants by destroying 

 predatory vermin and weeds. This is not 

 a property of animal and vegetable ma- 

 nures they foster both those enemies of 

 our crops. Salt and lime are very efficient 

 destroyers of slugs, snails, grubs, &c. 



Stable -mamire, and all decomposing 

 animal and vegetable substances, have a 

 tendency to promote the decay of stub- 

 born organic remains in the soil, on the 



hasten the process of putrefaction in 

 other organic bodies with which they 

 come in contact. Salt, in a small pro- 

 portion, has been demonstrated by Sir 

 J. Pringle to be gifted with a similar sep- 

 tic property; and that lime rapidly breaks 

 down the texture of organized matters is 

 well known. 



There is no doubt that rich soils, or 

 those abounding in animal and vegetable 

 remains, are less liable to change in tem- 

 perature with that of the incumbent 

 atmosphere than those of a poorer con- 

 stitution. This partly arises from the 

 colour of the soils. Some manures, as 

 salt, protect plants from suffering by 

 sudden reductions of temperature, by 

 entering into their system, stimulating 

 and rendering them more vigorous, im- 

 pregnating their sap, and, consequently, 

 rendering it less liable to be congealed. 



MAPLE. A'cer. 



MAHANHAO NUTS. BerthoUe'tia. 



MARA'NTA. Arrow-root. (Named after 

 B. Maranti, an Italian botanist. Nat. 

 ord., Marants [Marantaceae]. Linn., 1- 

 Monandria 1-Monogynia. Allied to 

 Canna.) 



A kind of arrow-root is obtained from the rhi- 

 zomes, or fleshy roots, of some of the species. 

 Stove evergreen's ; division of the roots in spring ; 

 rich, sandy loam, with nodules of peat. Winter 

 temp., 50 to 60; summer, 60 to 85. 

 M. angustifo'lia (narrow-leaved). 2. Red. July. 

 \V. Ind. 1820. 



bi'color (two-coloured), f. White. July. 



Brazil. 1823. 



mi'nor (smaller). J. White. April. 



S. Amer. 1828. 



Knea'ta (white-ttned-leaved). 1. 1848. 

 ro' sea (rosy-lined-/eerf). 1. 1848. 



Matacce'nsis (Malacca). 2. Green, white. 



December. E. Ind. 1820. 



obli'qua (twisted-/eaued). 2. Red. July. 



Guiana. 1803. 



Tou'chat (Touchat). 8. Red. July. E. Ind, 



1819- 



varieg/i'ta (variegated). 1. July. S. Amer. 



1825. 



MAEA'TTIA. (Named after J. F. Mn- 

 ratti, an Italian botanist. Nat. ord., 

 Danceaworts [DanseaceaeJ. Linn., 24- 

 Cryptoyamia 1-Filices. Allied to Ferns.) 

 Stove evergreens. Division in spring, or by 

 spore-like seeds ; peat and loam. Winter temp., 

 55 to 60; summer, 60 to 85. 

 M. ala'ta (winged). l. Brown. August. 



Jamaica. 1/93. 



cicuteefo'tia (cicuta-leaved). Brown, yellow. 



Brazil. 1843. 



e'legan.i (elegant). 8. Brown, yellow. Nor- 



folk Ishmd. 



Ite'vis (smooth). 2. Brown, yellow; Jamaica, 



1793. 



