Gardening for Amateurs 



525 



square yard is a minimum dressing. Those 

 gardeners who incorporate lime with the soil 

 for the Sweet Pea trench may use the 

 above mixture at the same rate as they 

 use lime ; in that case work it into the 

 soil in February. 



Many other derivatives from coal distilla- 

 tion are used for sterilising the ground. 

 Our knowledge of the action of these is 

 far from complete, and as some are strong 

 soil poisons, the amateur had best leave 

 them alone for a time. Experiments are 

 being carried out with such substances as 

 creosote, carbolic, toluol, benzine, pyridine, 

 and the like ; petrol has also been tried, 

 and doubtless readers will soon hear of 

 others ; some of them are very expensive. 



Common Substances. The gardener 

 with a small area to treat can make use 

 of certain common substances and derive 

 much benefit from their use. Urine spread 

 on the soil is most effective in killing insect 

 and fungoid pests ; it contains poisonous 

 chemicals which will destroy vegetation, but 

 during winter it can be used freely every- 

 where, even round the dormant roots of 

 plants and fruit bushes. Cease applying at 

 the end of February, and by the time 

 plants awaken at the call of spring the 

 poisonous elements will have become useful 

 manures. Water with ammonia and soap- 

 suds is quite useful as a preventive remedy 

 for many pests, and household ammonia 

 poured into water in any proportions may 

 be sprayed on soils. Gas-lime, if dug into 

 the garden when fresh, contains many 

 poisonous sulphur compounds which will 

 effectively fumigate the soil ; apply in 

 autumn, and long before spring the pests 



will have been killed, the poisons will have 

 passed away, and the soil be refreshed by 

 the lime. Lumps of calcium carbide are 

 often dibbled into the soil for the same 

 purpose ; the acetylene gas evolved is an 

 insecticide, and the residual lime good for 

 the soil. Sulphate of iron or copperas is 

 also a valuable insect poison and fungicide. 

 It should be spread on the soil at the rate 

 of J oz. per square yard ; it is a valuable 

 manure also. 



Many proprietary substances are now 

 advertised for sterilisation, and the gardener 

 who wishes his knowledge to be up to date 

 should watch the advertisement as well as 

 the technical columns of some good gar- 

 dening journal like The Gardener, and see 

 what is being done in the matter. 



Modern intensive cultivation requires in- 

 creasing care and attention, and the gar- 

 dener who wants to succeed must constantly 

 experiment on his own behalf in order to 

 find the best method of keeping his soil 

 pure and clean. Common substances and 

 good methods of tillage will do much to 

 secure this, but in many cases other and 

 more drastic measures are a necessity ; it 

 is a fortunate thing that science is lending 

 a helping hand, and every gardener should 

 avail himself of that help whenever it is 

 necessary. 



Prices of Chemicals. Price per pound 

 of chemicals mentioned (this varies a great 

 deal) : Carbon disulphide, 6d. to 8d. ; 

 formalin (40 per cent.), Is. ; naphthaline, 

 6d. ; toluol, Is. 3d. to Is. 6d. ; carbolic acid, 

 6d. ; benzine or, as it is called, benzole, 

 Is. They may be obtained from dealers 

 in scientific apparatus and chemicals 



Lawn Mowings. During dry weather 

 it is often advantageous to leave the fine 

 mowings lying on the lawn, as they act as 

 a protective mulch and prevent scorching. 

 The practice is more especially advisable as 

 the scorching is likely to take place imme- 

 diately after the grass has been cut. Lawn 

 mowings make a fine mulch for spreading 

 round fruit bushes, in the Strawberry beds, 

 or elsewhere in the garden. They may be 

 used for making a hotbed, too, either alone 



or, better still, mixed with horse manure ; 

 they may be dug into the soil to open it up 

 and enrich it, or they may be added to the 

 manure heap to eke out the supply of this 

 useful substance. Spread among young 

 Carrot or Onion plants they will keep off the 

 " fly," and retain for a long time any insecti- 

 cides which may be sprayed over them. 

 Lawn mowings, indeed, are a useful substance, 

 and they should be saved rather than con- 

 sidered a waste product. 



