18 



GARDENING FOR PLEASURE. 



OHAPTBE VI. 



HOW TO USE CONCENTRATED FERTILIZERS. 



Whatever kind of concentrated fertilizer may be used, 

 I find it well repays the labor to prepare it in the follow- 

 ing manner: to every bushel of fertilizer, add three bush- 

 els of either leaf-mold (from the woods), well pulverized 

 muck, sweepings from a paved street, or — in the absence 

 of either of the above — common garden soiL In every 

 case the material employed must be as dry as it is possi- 

 ble to procure it. When guano is used, be careful to 

 have it thoroughly pulverized and broken up before mix- 

 ing with the other ingredients. The fertilizer must be 

 well mixed with the soil or mold used by turning it at 

 least twice. This mixing should be done in winter, or 

 early spring, and the material packed away in barrels 

 in a dry place for at least a month before using it. The 

 main object of this operation is for the better separation 

 and division of the fertilizer, so that when applied, it 

 can be more regularly distributed over the land ; besides 

 this, no doubt the fertilizing qualities of the leaf -mold 

 or other substance are developed by this treatment. Ex- 

 periment has shown that this method of using concentra- 

 ted fertilizers of nearly all kinds, materially increases 

 their value. One of the most successful market-garden- 

 ers in our neighborhood, has adopted this method for 

 years, and in extensive experiments with different kinds 

 of fertilizers, with and without being mixed, finds a sav- 

 ing of quite one-third in quantity in thus treating them. 

 He finds that 1,200 lbs. of guano, mixed with two tons 

 of garden soil, and sown over the surface after plowing, 

 and then harrowed in, is equal in effect to 2,000 lbs. 

 of guano used without mixing. 



