Our Plants. 25 



Saving Manure (Plaster). 



We are told that " during the fermenting process 

 in the manure heap, carbon dioxide gas is given off, 

 and likewise ammonia, simultaneously wifh the de- 

 composition of the materials constituting the heap. 

 These two substances will at once combine to form 

 carbonate of ammonia, which is very volatile. Now, 

 when land plaster is added, the carbon dioxide con- 

 tained in the carbon of ammonia will unite with the 

 lime composing the plaster, forming carbonate of 

 lime : and the sulphuric acid which was previously 

 combined with the lime in the plaster will now be 

 set free, and will at once unite with the ammonia 

 contained in the carbonate to form sulphate of am- 

 monia, which will not volatilize, as was the case 

 with the carbonate." 



Commercial Fertilizer. 



Our alphabet is composed of twenty-six letters or 

 characters, which we arrange so as to express thou- 

 sands of words. The botanical alphabet is com- 

 posed of fifteen letters or elements, which, being put 

 together in various forms, produce every known 

 plant. 



Most of our artificial manures are special ferti- 

 lizers and supply the soil with only part of the plant 

 food required. Let us suppose, for example, that we 

 wish a certain field to produce a crop of wheat, and 

 that in order to grow that crop it will require liyQ of 



