169 



are thereupon taken up as plant-food, and thus prevented from sink- 

 ing. 



Common Salt acts as a manure in a similar manner to lime. Since 

 neither of its constituents — sodium or chlorine — seems to be among 

 the essential elements of plant food, it is regarded as an indirect manure. 

 Like lime, it has a chemical effect on the insoluble potash compounds, 

 freeing potash for the use of the plant. It also improves the texture 

 and drainage of clay land. It has been found to be a good manure for 

 sugar cane when grown far from the coa't. The effect of common salt is 

 however to increase rather the quantity than the quality. Thus it 

 spoils tobacco, while it increases the yield of cabbages. Whereas lime 

 can be applied at the rate of one ton per acre, not more than 200 lbs. 

 of common salt should be given to an acre, for it is a powerful anti- 

 septic, destroying all germ life. 



In this article no attempt has been made to do more than give a gene- 

 ral outline of the principles of manuring and the nature and action of the 

 manures most frequently used. To recommend, with any hope of suc- 

 cess, the kind and quantity of manure for individual crops is practi- 

 cally impossible. Many conditions h-^ve to be taken into account, the 

 nature of the soil in particular. The aim of special manuring is to 

 supply what is deficient in the soil and also to help the crop to obtain 

 that ingredient which it experiences special difficulty in obtaining, 

 Although it must beregardr^d as the work of chemists and experiment 

 stations to ascertain the general food requirements of crops, the culti- 

 vator must not expect to obtain all the desired information second- 

 hand. There is much that he can do for himsdf with little trouble aid 

 at a comparatively sm^ll cost. Every cultivator should arrange for 

 himself a series of experimental plots, in which he can test the results 

 of different manures. The experiments can be so arranged as to test 

 the effect of nitrogenous, potassic, and phosphatic manures alone, the 

 effect of mixtures containing two or three of these constituents, and 

 also the effect of the different forms of thes3 manures in which these 

 constituents can be applied Likewise, the experimenter will be enabled 

 to determine the amounts which give the best returns. The results 

 will possess the advantage of referring to land similar to th it on which 

 the crops are to be grown. To make them reliable, however, some 

 method must be followed and some degree of accuracy aimed at. 



BUDDING ORANGE TREES. 



By W. Cradwick, Superintendent of Hope Gardens. 



The preparation of Lemon, Sha ldock andlirge Sour Orange Trees for 



Budding. 



Success in budding or grafting any plmt or tree depends on the 

 skill of the operator, but also in quite as larga a degree on the condi- 

 tion of the stock or scion. The stock is the plant on which the bud 

 or graft is to be placed and which is to become its foster mother. The 

 scion is the bud or graft which is to be placed on the stock, and which 

 is to become the foster child of the stock. In tais case the stock re- 

 ferred to will usually be a sour orange, lemon, or valueless shaddock 



