MANURES 



This contains a considerable proportion of potash and nitrogen, 

 and is a most valuable growing medium, either alone or mixed 

 with other substances, being eminently suited to the growth of 

 most plants. All fallen leaves and vegetable refuse in a garden 

 should therefore be collected and thrown into a deep pit or trench, 

 dug in some obscure corner in order to provide leaf-mould. In 

 dry weather, water should be supplied to the pit, so as to give its 

 contents a thorough soaking, thus hastening decomposition. Leaf- 

 mould is particularly suited for the cultivation of pot-plants, 

 especially palms, ferns, and such fine foliage plants as naturally 

 grow under shade in the jungle. (See under Soils). 



Castor, Ground-nut, or Poonac-cake, etc. These are the 

 residue of castor-oil seeds, ground-nuts, coconuts, etc., after the oil 

 has been extracted. They are esteemed as manures, being usually 

 rapid in action, and are somewhat largely used on up-country estates 

 in Ceylon. BAMBER states that castor-cake is " one of the most 

 useful manures for Tea, and an excellent basis for other mixtures, 

 the percentage of nitrogen in the best castor cake being about 6 % , 

 though often only 5% in some grades." On all garden crops, and 

 especially Roses, castor-cake is considered to have excellent results. 

 Rape and cotton-seed cake are also valuable manures. 



Jadoo, or Jadoo-fibre. This potting material, or " growing 

 medium " as it is called, has been patented some years ago by 

 COL. THOMPSON, in England. It has for its foundation peat-moss, 

 which is of an exceedingly spongy and absorbing character, not 

 unlike fine coconut fibre in appearance. This is said to be boiled, 

 impregnated with nitrate of potash, bone-meal, gypsum, soot, etc., 

 and then fermented. When the substance is ready for use it is 

 almost free from any smell, and is a clean and light material to 

 handle. It is especially adapted for such plants as are required 

 for growing in -doors. As a propagating medium, especially for 

 germinating seeds, it has been highly spoken of. It used to be 

 imported by a firm in Colombo, but apparently the cost of trans- 

 port has prevented it becoming popular in the tropics. 



Sea-weeds. Along the Ceylon coasts, and particularly in 

 the north, sea- weeds are frequently used as a manure, being 

 applied in the fresh state, either for digging into the ground or for 

 forming a mulch on the surface. The percentage of nitrogen, 

 potash, and phosphoric acid which sea-weeds contain is, however, 

 considered small, so that their effect on soils is not a lasting one. 



