February, 1912.] 



125 



Horticulture. 



across the field. Following up this 

 cultivation will drive the bulk of 

 them off the field entirely. The fine 

 dust maintained on the surface and 

 scattered over the plants will prevent 

 his return until the dust is laid by 

 subsequent rains. As the vines begin 

 to run, cultivation can be continued 

 only in one direction ; the vines being 

 laid lengthwise of the cultivated rows. 



The gourd crop on thin soils responds 

 to artificial fertilizers. The fertilizer 

 should contain nitrogen, phosphorous 

 and potash. The proportions vary some- 

 what with the character of the soil. 

 Most of our Missouri soils contain abun- 

 dant potash for most farm crops. The 

 gourd family, especially watermelons, 

 feed abundantly on potash, however, 

 and ordinarily they will respond well to 

 its application. A mixture that will 

 contain the equivalent of the following 

 wirl be found adequate to most Missouri 

 soils : 100 lbs. Muriate of potash, 75 lbs. 

 bone meal, and 75 lbs. Nitrate Soda per 

 acre. If desired, the equivalent may be 

 secured through the use of Sulphate 

 of Potash, Acid Phoshate and dried 

 blood. It is more economical, however, 

 to keep up the fertility of the soil by 

 using clover frequently in the rotation. 

 Where barnyard manure is available, no 

 other fertilizer will be needed. 



MANURE FOR THE VEGETABLE 

 GARDEN. 



(From the Queensland Agricultural 

 Journal, Vol. XXVII., Part 3, 

 September, 1911.) 



- Amateurs are often troubled about 

 what fertilisers to use and how much. 

 The most simple way out of the diffi- 

 culty is to buy a good general garden 

 manure — one that contains the three 

 ingredients of phosphoric acid, potash, 

 and nitrogen, Now as to quantity, in 

 the first place we have to remember 

 that | lb. to the square yard is 2,400 lb., 

 or over a ton to the acre, which is such a 

 very heavy dressing that it could only 

 be afforded on small areas and with in- 

 tense cultivation. Still, \ lb. seems a 

 small quantity to the novice, who wants 

 to give that much to each plant. This 

 is not only not necessary, but is an 

 almost certain way to kill or check the 

 plants. If the beds are in good order 

 moderate manuring only is required, 

 and if they are not; two or three light 

 dressings are far preferable to one 

 heavy dosing, In tact, it ia a standing 



rule that plants, like weak children and 

 sick people, are injured, and not streng- 

 thened by too much and too strong food. 



Many an amateur, in fact, kills his 

 plants with too much strong manure. 

 "I thought I would have a grand crop 

 of lettuces," said a man on the tramcar 

 recently ; '' I got fine plants and a cwt, 

 of superphosphate, and I put a jamtin- 

 ful of superphosphate for each plant, 

 but nearly every one died, and the rest 

 are miseiable, stunted things," He 

 asked it I could tell him why, and I did. 

 It he had used a small tea-spoonful of 

 the superphosphate for each plant and 

 mixed that with the soil for 6 in. all 

 round, he would probably have obtained 

 the results he wished, especially if he 

 had watered them once a week, as they 

 grew, with weak extract of cowdung or 

 fowl-manure. 



It is well to recall the fact that there 

 are 2,210 lb. in a ton, and 4,810 square 

 yards in an acre- TnereJtore, to apply 

 lib. of manure to a yard is equal to 

 over 2 tons 3 cwt. to the acre, A quarter 

 of a pound to the square yard is over 10 

 cwt. to the acre, and 1 oz, co the square 

 yard is over 2£ cwt. to the acre. It may 

 tie roughly stated that it will not be 

 wise to go beyond § lb. to the square 

 yard ot any artificial manure at one 

 application, and 1 oz. to the square yard 

 ot sulpnate of ammonia, nitrate of soda, 

 or potash is as much as anyone ought 

 to use. 



It must be remembered that the condi- 

 tion of the manure is a very important 

 consideration in deciding how much 

 may be applied. Thus bonedust treated 

 with sulphuric acid is bone superphos- 

 phate, or the " dissolved bone " of 

 Eaglish writers, and the difference is 

 that in the latter case the ohosphate of 

 lime is rendered soluble in water and 

 there is free sulphuric acid present. 

 Now, we might apply 10 tons of bone- 

 dust to the acre of cabbages without 

 injuring them. We would simply be 

 wasting the Ponedust, but if we applied 

 10 tons of superphosphate our crop 

 would in all probability suffer. So in 

 the case of stable, cow, sheep, or fowl 

 manures. Too heavy dressings of these 

 substances applied fresh are injurious, 

 but if they are thoroughly well rotted 

 and rendered mellow with age they can 

 be applied in almost any practicable 

 quantities. Then, again, some crops 

 are gross feeders, and will thrive in 

 manure which would kill more delicate 

 plants,-—" Garden and Field,'., 



