356 Fertilizers 



fertilizer may contain the more slowly available forms 

 of nitrogen and phosphoric acid. Ground bone is an 

 excellent source of these elements, and a mixture of five 

 parts of ground bone and one of muriate of potash makes 

 an excellent dressing. This may be applied at the rate 

 of five pounds to the square rod, and thoroughly worked 

 into the soil. The after-fertilization may consist chiefly 

 of nitrogen, preferably as a nitrate, since its ready solu- 

 bility permits of its free penetration into the lower layers, 

 which encourages a deeper root system, and thus greater 

 resistance to drought. 



The top-dressings with nitrate of soda should con- 

 sist of light fractional dressings, rather than of large 

 amounts at one time. One-half pound to the square 

 rod, twice or thrice during the season, the first as soon 

 as the grass is well started in the spring, and preferably 

 immediately preceding a rain, will, if the land has been 

 previously prepared well, be sufficient. To facilitate 

 the distribution of the nitrate, as well as to supply a suffi- 

 cient abundance of phosphoric acid, it may be mixed with 

 equal parts of ground bone. 



Forcing-house crops. 



A rich garden loam, to which a considerable pro- 

 portion of stable manure one-third to one-half the 

 bulk has been added, is the usual type of soils for 

 such crops as tomatoes, lettuce, radishes and cucumbers 

 under glass. The addition of fertilizers to these is seldom 

 advisable. It has been demonstrated, however, that such 

 mixtures are not essential, and that the crops may be 

 profitably and successfully grown in mediums which 

 contain no plant-food, 1 if supplied with an abundance in 



1 Connecticut State Experiment Station Reports for 1895, 

 1896 and 1897. 



