50 THE CHRYSANTHEMUM 



and the result is shown in thickened leaves of a 

 darker hue. 



Nitrate of potash is in favor with some growers, 

 who prefer it to the soda. Its cost is double that of 

 the soda, while its action and effect are practically the 

 same. Lime and iron are essential elements in soil 

 fertility. Some soils contain them in abundance, 

 while in others they are markedly deficient, and in such 

 the deficiency can be advantageously rectified. Lime 

 acts in a dual capacity. In the soil it enters into 

 formation of chemical compounds and tends to make 

 soluble and available for use fertilizing elements that 

 would, in the absence of lime, remain insoluble. Also 

 when taken up in solution it enters into and materially 

 strengthens the tissues of the plant, giving more 

 rigidity to the stem. A weakness of stem in certain 

 varieties often denotes deficiency of lime and the evil 

 can be corrected by applying it. This is best done by 

 sprinkling air-slacked lime over the surface soil two 

 or three times during the growing season previous to 

 watering. Additional iron, if needed, can be readily 

 applied by sulphate of iron, which is soluble in water, 

 and. a quarter of a pound will suffice for fifty gallons 

 of water. It may be added to the solutions of sulphate 

 of ammonia or nitrate of soda and used in conjunction 

 with them. 



When these chemical fertilizers are needed they 

 should be used in alternation with liquid animal 

 manures, and similarly with each other. They should 

 also be applied when the soil about the plants is in 

 moderately moist condition, a rule, in fact, applicable 

 to all fertilizers, never to water with them when the 

 soil is so dry that the plants are in immediate need 

 of water, or serious disaster may be the result. A 

 word of caution in regard to these fertilizers is to 



