1 66 Growing Flowers 



animals. Potash, which makes the fruits, is 

 found in wood ashes. The proper proportion of 

 these foods to apply to plants is 2 parts of potash, 

 3 parts acid phosphate, and 5 parts of nitrate of 

 soda. 



In applying wood ashes to the garden plants, sift 

 them well beforehand, or there will probably be 

 many lumps in the ash soil which will not be bene- 

 ficial to the plants and may, indeed, be detrimen- 

 tal to the roots. 



Manure should never be applied direct to the roots 

 of plants but should be put into the ground at a 

 little distance that the roots may receive the sus- 

 tenance through other soil and through moisture, 

 rather than direct. Fresh manure will burn the 

 roots of most plants. 



When bone meal is used as a fertilizer it should be 

 ground very fine. Unless it is ground fine it will 

 not give good results as it takes too long for the 

 plant to absorb the food in it. 



When digging up flowered-out plants, or trimming 

 the branches, or pulling up vines, make sure that 

 they are not covered with insects, then bury them 



