350 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ November 1, 1877. 



placed in heat another batch must be put in-in the same way 

 to keep tip a succession. Where a supply is wanted until it is 

 ready out of doors a lot must be introduced every three weeks 

 until the end of February. 



In forcing it on dung beds (the beds must be made up like 

 any ordinary hotbed, with a frame on the top of it) spread 

 the soil over the dung the same as it was over the pipes, pack 

 the roots in, and do it exactly in the same way as in the pit ; 

 but care must be taken not to give too much water at the 

 roots, as the soil does not become dry so quickly above the 

 damp dung as the hot pipes. During cold nights, when the tops 

 are above the soil, cover them with glass ; when the heat de- 

 clines add fresh linings around the frame. My greatest objec- 

 tion to hotbeds is that in wet weather they soon lose the heat, 

 and this of course they are much more liable to do in winter 

 than at any other time. I have a bed about 4 feet wide and 

 the same in depth in the inside of a lean-to house which I fill 

 with dung as a hotbed, and this I find holds the heat as long 

 again as the hotbeds outside. — A Kitchen Gardener. 



Johnston's Elements of Agricultural Chemistry. 

 Dr. Cameron. Tenth Edition. 



Edited by 



The above title is a guarantee of excellence, for both author 

 and editor are well known as good authorities. One extract 

 will show the nature and value of the contents. 



Changes which farm manure undergoes in storage. — Fresh 

 tfarmvard manure generally contains about 70 per cent, of water 

 and 30 per cent, of (dry) organic and earthy matters. Only a 

 very small proportion of the dry matters consists of substances 

 soluble in water. In a short time, however, the organic matters 

 ■ — straw, &c. — begin to ferment, one result of which process iB 

 ihe production of soluble compounds. Freeh manure produces 

 but little effect when applied to crops ; but when it ia far ad- 

 vanced in decomposition [i.e., well rotted), it then contains so 

 much soluble matter absorbable by plants that it acts as a power- 

 ful fertiliser if used in sufficient quantity. 



In fresh manure the most important constituent of its soluble 

 portion is potash; of phosphoric acid and ammonia it contains 

 but very small proportions. Rotten manure, on the contrary, 

 yields to the Bolvent action of water large amounts of Ditrogen 

 and phosphoric acid. If good fresh farmyard manure be dried 

 at 212° F., the soluble organic matters of the residue will be 

 found to amount to from 7 to 8 per cent., and its soluble mineral 

 matters to from 4 to 5 per cent. On the other hand, dry rotten 

 farmyard manure contains from 13 to 16 per cent, of soluble 

 organic matters, and 5 to 6 per cent, of soluble mineral sub- 

 stances. 



Dr. Voelcker has shown that there is very little free ammonia 

 in either fresh or old farmyard manure, and that the peculiar 

 odour of the latter is not due, as popularly supposed, to the 

 escape of ammonia from the manure. In the hot centre of a 

 fermenting duDg-heap some free ammonia is formed, but this is 

 prevented from escaping by the cold outer layers of the manure, 

 which act like a chemical filter. 



Dr. Voelcker, in a paper of great value published in the 17th 

 volume of the Royal Agricultural Society, gives the following 

 summary of the changes which farmyard manure undergoes in 

 storage : — 



1. That during the fermentation of dung the proportion of 

 both soluble organic and soluble mineral matters rapidly in- 

 creases. 



2. That peculiar organic acids not existing — at least, not in 

 considerable quantities— are generated during the ripening of 

 dung from the litter and other non-nitrogenised organic consti- 

 tuents of manure. 



3. That these acids (humic, ulmic, and similar acids) form, 

 with potash, soda, and ammonia, dark-coloured very soluble 

 compounds. Hence the dark colour of the drainings of dung- 

 heaps. 



4. That ammonia is produced from the nitrogenous consti- 

 tuents of dung, and that this ammonia is fixed for the greater 

 part by the humus substances produced at the same time. 



5. That a portion of the sulphur and phoBphorus of the excre- 

 mentitious matters of dung is dissipated in the form of sul- 

 phurated and phosphoreted* hydrogen. 



_ 6. That volatile ammoniacal compounds, apparently in incon- 

 siderable quantities, escape into the air. 



7. That the proportion of organic substances in fresh dung 

 rapidly decreases during the fermentation of dung, whilst the 

 mineral substances increase in a corresponding degree. 



8. That this loss of organic BubBtances is accounted for by the 

 formation of carbonic acid, oxide of carbon, and light carbureted 

 hydrogen, or marsh gas. 



* It is not probable that phosphoreted hydrogen is given oft daring the 

 c?ecay of any kind of ordinary organic matter. Plu'sz and Hoppe-Sejler found 

 that decomposing fiBh emitted sulphureted hydrogen, but not phosphoreted 

 hydrogen.— C. A. C. 



9. That the proportion of nitrogen is larger in rotten than in 

 freBh dung. 



Loss of fertilising matters from manure. — The experiments 

 of Voelcker show that farmyard manure doeB not lose much by 

 exposure to air, heat, and light. The deterioration which ill- 

 kept manure-heaps undergo is therefore due to losses by drain- 

 age. The dark-coloured liquid which we too often observe 

 trickling away from badly kept dung-heaps is rich in nitrogen, 

 phosphoric acid, and potash. 



Koerte found that one hundred loads of dung kept in the 

 usual wasteful manner were reduced at the end of — 

 Loads. Loads. 



81 days to 73.3, sustaining a loss of 26.7 

 285 „ 64.4, „ „ 35.6 



SP4 „ 62.5, „ „ 37.5 



499 „ 47.2, „ „ 62.8 



Thus in sixteen months more than one half — and that the 

 most valuable portion — of the manure had disappeared, leaving 

 a highly carbonaceous matter, poor in all the elements of fer- 

 tility. 



NOTES on VILLA, and SUBURBAN GARDENING. 



In a former calendar the lifting and transplanting of trees and 

 shrubs was referred to, but the unusual spell of dry weather 

 which has followed since those instructions were given has 

 prevented most of us from fully carrying them out. Now that 

 the soil has had the benefit of heavy rains we urge on all who 

 contemplate alterations and additions of any kind to proceed 

 with them as rapidly as possible. Whether it be the removing 

 or thinning of already existing plantations, the renewing of 

 fresh RoBe beds, or the alterations or additions of fruit trees, 

 the sooner they are permanently placed in their new stations 

 the better chance they have of making fresh roots before the 

 extreme cold weather is with us. A list of trees, shrubs, and 

 climbers is appended. The selection is chosen either from their 

 beauty or from some other good quality rendering them well 

 adapted for small gardens. Many are excluded that are likely 

 to grow out of proportion to the size of most villa or suburban 

 gardens. Among the evergreen shrubs the Aucuba is especially 

 noted for its spotted Laurel-like foliage, and its readiness to 

 grow in almost any soil and situation places it pre-eminent as a 

 town Bhrub. Aucuba japonica vera, maculata and augustifolia, 

 are amongst the best. If the true green male variety is intro- 

 duced the possibility is that during the winter months some of 

 the shrubs will be loaded with beautiful scarlet berries. Ber- 

 beriB aquifolia and B. Darwinii, the many varieties of Box, 

 Cotoneasters, Escallonias, and Euonymuses are also suitable; 

 Garrya elliptica with its nut-like catkins is very attractive 

 during mild winters; thevarious sorts of Holly — the Gold, Silver, 

 Prickly, or Smooth-leaved— are very bright and always pleasing; 

 Olearia Haastii, Skimmia japonica, Veron'ci Andersoni, Tqccrs 

 recurva gloriosa and filamentosa, are all worthy of notice. Of 

 deciduous trees and shrubs Borne of the Maples, such as Negundo 

 fraxinifolium and its variety albo-variegatum ; Acer_ japonicum 

 polymorphum, A. platanoides dissectum and laciniatum; the 

 Snowy Mespilus, one or two Bmaller-growingformsof the Birch, 

 double-flowering Cherries, Chimonanthus fragrans and Jasmi- 

 num nudiflorum for covering walls ; Hawthorns, notably Paul's 

 New Scarlet; Cydonia japonica; Deutzias crenata flore-pleno, 

 gracilis, and scabra; Leycesteria formosa; Syringas, especially 

 the large flowering variety Philadelphus grandiflorus ; Prunus 

 sinensis flore-pleno ; Elders of the variegated and cut-leaved 

 varieties, and all the Weigelas are excellent for shrubberies. Of 

 climbers Ampelopsis hederacea and A. Veitchii, ClematiB flam- 

 mula and Jackmanii, the various forms of- Ivy, Lomcera aurea 

 reticulata, Jasmines, and Ceanothus Veitchianus, azureus, rigi- 

 dus, and dentatus are all useful for covering walls and fences. 

 Compact specimens of Conifers for lawns are the Gold and 

 Silver Tews, Retinospora plumosa and R. p. aurea, Retinospora 

 filicoides and R. obtusa aurea, Cupressns Lawsoniana gracilis, 

 and C. L. erectis viridis, Thnjopsis borealis vanegati, Thuja 

 aurea and elegantissima, with Junipers, are all suitable. B or 

 larger-growing specimens CedrusDeodara, C.Libam, Catlantica, 

 Abies Albertiana, Piceas lasiocarpa, nobilis, Nordmanmana, and 

 Pinsapo, Thuja gigantea, and the renowned WelliDgtoma gi- 

 gautea should all be included. Great care should be taken in 

 planting those larger-growing trees not to place them too near 

 to walks or the sides of buildings ; for although at the time ot 

 planting they may look well, in the course of a few years they 

 become obstructives, and then there is a difficulty of removing 



In planting the various specimens care must be taken to break 

 the ground well around and underneath them, and if large 

 breadths of planting are done there is no better way than 

 trenching the ground. Merely digging small holes and cram- 

 ming the roots into them is like digging a grave to receive them, 

 especially in heavy soil, for on snch ground the water is 

 held around the roots as if iu a pond the whole of the winter, 

 consequently the smaller fibres— the feeders— decay. 



Selections of Roses have so recently been given in your pages, 



