Mantisia 



(51 ) 



Manures 



MANTISIA. 



Stove herbaceous perennials (ord. Scitaminefe), 

 from the East Indies. They may be increased by 

 root division in spring, and like a compost of 

 fibrous loam and sandy peat in equal parts. 



Principal Species : 



saltatoria, 1', st., Jy., pur., yel. Opera Girls. 



MANULEA. 



Greenhouse herbs or sub-shrubs (urd. Scrophn- 

 larinco:), which may be raised from seeds and 

 cuttings in an ordinary greenhouse, using a soil of 

 two parts loam, one part leaf mould, and sand. 

 Only rubra is at all well known in this country. 



Principal Species : 



tomentosa, 1', My., Nov., 

 grh. per. , or- 



ruliru, 1' to 2', Ap., Sep., 

 grh. per., gold, yel. 



MANURES. 



A manure is a substance containing one or more 

 of the several ingredients of plant food. Conse- 

 quently it is applied to the soil with the view, 

 either of replacing substances whicli have been 

 absorbed by, and taken away with, previous crops, 

 or of increasing in the soil the quantity of any 

 special ingredient that may be required. The 

 whole question of manuring is a complex, far-reach- 

 ing, and vitally important one to the cultivator and 

 consumer, no matter whether the culture of plants 

 in pots, or in the open field or garden, be considered. 

 Some soils are naturally barren : these it is the 

 mission of the cultivator to render fertile. Pro- 

 ductive soils, on the other hand, must have their 

 fertility maintained, and, if possible, increased, and 

 to do this in the face of heavy and continuous 

 cropping is often difficult. 



The essential elements of plant food are ten 

 in number, whilst four are unessential, but almost 

 always present. In practical manuring the sub- 

 stances that it is found most important to replace 

 in the soil are (1) nitrogen, in the form of 

 soluble salts nitrates, sulphates, etc.; (2) potash ; 

 (3) phosphoric acid, usually in the form of 

 phosphates. A manure containing these three 

 requisites is spoken of as an " all-round " manure, 

 because it contains all that the plant is likely to 

 feel a shortage of ; the balance of the ten elements 

 alluded to above are usually present in the soil 

 in such quantities that it is not necessary to add 

 to the store. 



A manure whose chief ingredient is nitrogen is 

 spoken of as a nitrogenous manure. Familial- 

 examples are to be found in Peruvian Guano, 

 nitrate of soda, sulphate of ammonia, and soot. 



Potassic manures chiefly contain potash. Com- 

 mon examples are kainit, sulphate of potash, 

 muriate of potash, and wood ashes. 



I'hosphatic manures supply the element phos- 

 phonis in some of its varied forms. Superphosphate 

 uf lime, basic slag, crushed bones, steamed bone 

 Hour, and bone meal are instances of phosphatio 

 manures. 



Nitrogenous manures have the effect of stimulat- 

 ing the growth of leaf and stem. Given in excess 



Manitia (see Glol/ba). 



Manlllla (see Puli/xena). 



Manna Ash (see Fraximis Ornus). 



Ma n no. Tree (see Alliayi). 



Man uf tlir Kiirth (see Ipomtra pandurata). 



Man Urdus (sec Areras anthrophora). 



they promote rank growth, and not the production of 

 fruit. Consequently, while they are excellent foods 

 to apply to such things as Cabbages and Brussels 

 Sprouts, of which it is desired to increase the top 

 growth, it is easy to destroy the fertility of a fruit 

 tree by their means. Moreover, it is not only a 

 wasteful practice to apply nitrates to Cabbage- 

 tribe crops in the fall of the year, seeing that much 

 of the precious salts is washed away by the heavy 

 autumnal rains, but positive harm may accrue, in 

 that a gross, succulent growth, easily injured by 

 frost, is the result. The proper time to apply 

 nitrogenous manures is in the spring of the year, 

 when the store of nitrates in the soil is not 

 sufficient for the pressing needs of a crop. 



Potash is intimately concerned, in conjunction with 

 the green colouring matter of leaves, in promoting 

 assimilation, or the absorption from the air of car- 

 bonic acid and the retention of the carbon. With- 

 out potassium the formation of starch and kindred 

 compounds cannot go on, and the plant comes to a 

 standstill and refuses to grow. As a rule, few soils 

 are devoid of potash, but in a plant like the 

 Potato excellent results are obtained from an aug- 

 mentation of this store, in the way of manures. 



The presence of phosphorus is necessary to the 

 formation of protoplasm, which may be regarded 

 as the life blood of the plants. There is still a 

 good deal of mystery regarding the uses to which 

 phosphorus is applied by the plant, but at least 

 there is no doubt as to its vital importance as a 

 plant food. 



With the exception of carbon, all the other 

 | elements necessary to the health and existence of 

 the plants are absorbed by the roots. Moreover, 

 all plant food must be in a soluble form, seeing 

 that solids cannot be taken in. This is the reason 

 why the application of chemical manures in a dry 

 season is not so serviceable as it is in a wet one, 

 unless water is artificially applied ; the food must 

 be in solution before the plant can make use of it. 



At one time it was thought that by analysing 

 the ash of any given plant that is, the residue 

 after the volatile constituents are driven off by 

 fire an index to the requirements of the plant, 

 from a food point of view, could be obtained. 

 The substances found to be most strongly re- 

 presented were to be regarded as being the most 

 essential, and manures applied in accordance. 

 Practically this was proved to be a quite erroneous 

 conclusion. Theoretically also, the conclusion was 

 unsound, because the absorption of food by the 

 plant is chiefly a mechanical matter, and the roots 

 exercise little or no selective power. Whatever is 

 dissolved in the water, that they must take until 

 they are so full that they can hold no more. 

 Consequently, substances which further experi- 

 ments have proved not to be essential, are often 

 absorbed, and enter largely into the much-talked-of 

 " ash " of plants. 



All manures may be divided into two great 

 sections, according to their origin, as " Organic " 

 and "Inorganic." 



Organic Manures. To this section belong all 

 remains of decomposed animal and vegetable 

 organisms. Some of the most important are treated 

 below. 



Farmyard Manure. This i.s the sheet anchor of 

 the dispenser of manures. It contains, when good, 

 all the essentials that the plant is likely to require. 

 But farmyard manure varjes greatly, and, to take 

 one element alone, there is more available nitrogen 



