of various Plants, Fruits, ^c. 141 



well filled seeds. As it would be impossible for me, at the 

 present moment, to develop all my ideas and experience on 

 this subject, I will endeavor briefly to elucidate it by a sup- 

 position, which, like those in algebra, may or may not be 

 near the truth. 



Suppose the nitrogenous {ammoniacal) and alkaline {pot- 

 ash and soda) manures to be those chiefly instrumental in 

 producing stem and foliage, then nitrate of soda will be 

 valuable for this purpose, and if the soil itself contain the 

 ingredients of the seed in a fit state for absorption, the plant 

 thus thrown into a state of luxuriance will be enabled to 

 draw from it sufficient to make plenty of good seed. But 

 if the soil in itself contains them very sparingly, then this 

 excess of stem and foliage, although containing a quantity 

 of nitrogenous and palatable food for cattle, will be defi- 

 cient in rich seed. Now we know that phosphate of lime 

 and of magnesia, with sulphurous compounds, exist in all 

 seeds useful to man and animals — these, however, do not 

 form part of nitrate of soda and potash, hence the latter 

 can only assist the plant in extracting them from the soil. 



Suppose, secondly, we use a manure combining the nitro- 

 genous principles in the shape of urates, &c. with the 

 alkaline phosphates, sulphates, muriates, &c., then even on 

 the poorest soil, while the ammoniacal portion is performing 

 its office of causing luxuriance in foliage and stem, the in- 

 gredients of the seed are offered in abtmdance to the root. 

 This is exactly the predicament of Guano — most of the 

 salts in which are soluble in water — and those which are 

 not, such as the phosphate and oxalate of lime, become so 

 when combined near the roots with the carbonic acid fur- 

 nished by the humus as well as by other portions of the 

 manure. 



The use of a solution of Guano in water is therefore 

 good, when the seed is not required ; but where it is, the 

 deprivation of the insoluble phosphate of lime is very inju- 

 rious. 



Hence, from the proper use of Guano, a luxuriant vege- 

 tation is followed by the production of a large crop of fine 

 seed. As a farther elucidation of my views, I will state 

 that the manure made use of for the purpose of producing 

 double flowers, is the highly nitrogenous stable manure, 

 which is used in such quantity as to prevent the roots from 



