THE FLOWiaR-GAEDEN. 99 



garden, it may be generally and successfully used, if carefully applied 

 after having been first well mixed with sifted earth, and not in too 

 great a quantity. For potatoes, carrots, and onions, it is particularly 

 good, and causes abundant crops, if used in about the proportion of one 

 part of guano well mixed with nine parts of light soil, and half a spade- 

 ful of this compost spread upon a square foot of earth, and well watered 

 immediately after. About two ounces of guano to the square yard, is 

 the quantity we would recommend for small gardens. 



The manner in which guano gives out its richness to plants, may be 

 understood from Professor Cuthbert Johnson's description. He says — 

 " Until a plant has its leaves expanded, it lives at the expense of the 

 seed ; but the moment it spreads its leaves, it lives at the expense of 

 the air. All plants contain oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, and carbon, 

 three of which are gaseous substances. When a plant begins to spread 

 its leaves, it absorbs or sucks in carbon from the air, wherein it existed 

 in a state of carbonic acid. Nitrogen, an important ingredient of 

 plants, existed also in the atmosphere ; but the plant had not the power 

 to suck it in from the air for its nourishment. Ammonia and nitric acid 

 were the only two forms in which plants would obtain nourishment 

 from nitrogen. So long as it was unknown that plants required this 

 substance, it was not thought necessary to supply it in the way of ma- 

 nure, nor to preserve it from being lost to the soil. No manure can be 

 efficacious unless nitrogen be present in it ; and if manure be treated 

 so, by exposure to the air, or by other means, as to allow the ammonia 

 to escape, it is injured to that extent. 



Guano, to be effectual, should be used in wet weather, or upon a wet 

 day, for the sooner it is washed into the earth, the better ; on no ac- 

 count should it be used on a windy day. It kills slugs, grubs, animal- 

 culae, etc., and goes far to prevent the attack of blight and fly. 



In the flower-garden it may be advantageously used, but here its 

 application must be even more carefully studied than in the kitchen- 

 garden. Perhaps it is most safely used in a liquid state for most flowers 

 growing in the beds. One pound of guano may be put into eight gal- 

 lons of water and let stand for about four hours, when eight more gal- 

 lons of water may be added. Stir this up for use, and it will be found 

 a valuable liquid for pouring on land, especially for flowers. 



As a general principle, it may be considered that guano may be ap- 

 plied to all hard-wooded and hard flber-rooted plants, whether vegeta- 

 bles or flowers; thus it is very good applied to most shrubs, like the 

 myrtle, fuschias, rhododendron, ribes sanguinea, rose-bushes, etc., but 

 must be carefully and very sparingly used to all'plants of a succulent 

 kind, particularly such as the balsam, and the like. To geraniums, its 

 use is of rather a doubtful character, unless used in the liquid state, 

 and then it must be much diluted, say to the extent of twice the usual 

 quantity of water. 



With a variety of potted plants, such as fuschias, calceolores, roses, 

 camellias, and the like, guano has been used with success ; both flower 

 and foliage have been much improved. Applied to potted plants, it 

 should be used in the liquid state, about an ounce to a gallon of water, 

 applied twice a week. 



