CHAPTER V 



Manures and Fertilizers 



THERE is no more important question to the carnation grower than the 

 fertility of the soil with which he has to operate. It is not only neces- 

 sary that he shall be able to grow carnations, but he must be able to 

 produce them at a substantial, paying profit. He must not only produce 

 flowers that will sell for more than their cost in the way of labor, manures, 

 interest on capital invested, and cost of keeping his plant in repair, but he 

 must produce them at a profit sufficient to cover the reduction in the future 

 fertility of his soil, or the cost of replenishing it. If he can produce crops and 

 sell them at a profitable margin, and at the same time maintain and increase 

 the productiveness of his soil, he will have become a successful business florist. 

 In order to do this, it is necessary to acquire, through years of experience, 

 a definite working knowledge of the principles involved in plant production. 

 He must not only be able to propagate and grow carnation plants, harvest and 

 sell his flowers at a profit, but also have a more or less definite knowledge 

 of the use of manures and commercial fertilizers, and of what constitutes fer- 

 tility of the soil, as well as a practical experience that will enable him to 

 judge of the capacity of his soils and to maintain and increase their fer- 

 tility. 



By fertility is meant the total content of plant food elements in the soil 

 that are useable or available for plant growth. It must contain those ele- 

 ments found in the plant, for it is axiomatic that you can take nothing from 

 the soil which it does not contain. Experiments show that plants take up a 

 number of chemical elements which seem to be required for their normal 

 growth and development. Those most necessary to plant growth are stated 

 as nitrogen, phosphoric acid, potash and lime ; but magnesium, sulphur, 

 sodium, iron, silicon and chlorine are also taken into the plant system in 

 greater or less quantities. Nitrogen, phosphoric acid, potash and lime are 

 more rapidly exhausted from soils, because plants contain larger amounts of 

 these elements than of the others above mentioned. 



In order to secure the best results in growing any plant, it is evident that 

 soils must contain the maximum amount of those particular elements which 



61 



