96 SCHOOL AND HOME GARDENING 



Tliis exercise shows one imijortaiit piaiit-i'ood in the ashes — 

 potash. There are several different kinds of plant-food in 

 wood ashes. For this reason, ashes should Ije sa\ed in a place 

 where the rain-water will not take away the food by leaching. 

 The forms of mineral matter which the trees take from the 

 soil while growing may be carefully saved and returned to the 

 soil in the form of ashes. 



The test with the litmus paper proves that the ashes will 

 correct the sour or acid condition of soils. 



Schools or homes burning wood may spread the ashes 

 throughout the winter season on the land where the garden is 

 to grow. The leaching of all soluble plant-food will be directly 

 into the soil. 



How to Buy Fertilizers. — The real value of any com- 

 mercial fertilizer is l)ased not upon the brand, but upon the 

 kind and form and the amount of elements contained in the 

 mixture. Good gardeners sometimes buy fertilizers that have 

 a low price per ton. These are invariably more expensive 

 sources of plant-food than those more highly concentrated. 

 The low-grade fertilizers contain more make-weight or poorer 

 materials. A gardener prefers high-grade fertilizers contain- 

 ing good forms of plant-food. Such cannot be sold for a low 

 price. The price alone cannot be taken as a safe guide as to 

 the effect that a fertilizer may have upon the crop. This is 

 measured by the kind and form of materials in the mixture. 



Home mixing of fertilizers has become a more common 

 practice among gardeners. The elementary forms of plant- 

 food are purchased separately and mixed as desired for the 

 special crops. The mixing is done on a smooth floor with a 

 shovel, just as concrete materials are sometimes mixed. For 

 a good medium loam early garden crops may be fed with com- 

 mercial fertilizer, as follows : 



Nitrate of Soda 250 Us. 



ttround Bone 100 lbs. 



Acid Phosphate 550 lbs. 



Muriate of Potash 100 lbs. 



