February 24^, 1912. 



THE GARDENERS' MAGAZINE 



163 



MANURES AND MANURING. 



(Cont'laded from page 110.) 



For plants requiring phosphatic manures, 

 as for example, tomatoes, clirysanthemums, 

 and carnations, basic slag is inidoubtedly 

 one of the most serviceable manures. It is 

 very well suited to the requirements of these 

 particular plants, and should be applied to 

 llower borders and vegetable plots at the 

 rate of -loz. per square yard ; larger quj^nti- 

 ties than this are sometimes given with 

 advantage. On chalky (soils, containing a 

 large percentage of lime, superphosphate is 

 probably preferable to basic slag. The 

 peculiar property of this fertiliser is that 

 most of the phosj^hates in it are soluble in 

 water; thus it soon dissolves, and becomes 

 thoroughly mixed with the soil particles. 

 Very scon after aj^plication to the :ioil it 

 reverts to a condition no longer soluble 

 in water, and is then precipitated and fixed 

 in the soil beyond risk of loss. 



It may be assumed that the rate of action 

 of superphosphate is quicker than that of 

 any other form of phosphatic manure, and 

 for rapid work it is therefore to be pre- 

 ferred. On soils deficient in lime, or those 

 which contain a too small percentage of 



lime to keep them alkaline, superphosphate 

 has a tendency to increase the acidity ; and 



potash in the same manure. In addition 

 to the ordinary manure, ^oz. of common 

 saltpetre per square yard may be sprinkled 

 on three different occasions ; once soon after 

 the plants are up, and lastly not later than 

 the middle of June. 



Of so-called complete " fertilisers for 

 garden crops there is no end; and, gene- 

 rally speaking, for pot plants and for use 

 in small quantities, they may be recom- 

 mended. At the same time, ho%vover, it is 



doubtful whether they can be regarded as fi„er flowers, and are almost as liardv and 

 economical for general use, and where the 

 question of economy is an important one, it 

 is better to mix one's own manures. The 



CLEMATIS JACKMANl. 



This old purple clematis has been one of 

 the most popular of all climbers, and by 

 reason of its Jiaixliness and freedom of 

 floweriiiff has suffered verv little in com- 

 petition with the multitudes of clematis 

 6]x^cies and varieties, whicli Jiave been in- 

 troduced <luring the la.^t twenty years. It 

 has given its name to a whole section, and 

 there are two varieties of it which have 



principal forms in which nitrogenous, phos- 

 phatic, and potassic manures can be ol)- 

 tained have been enumei ated in the foi iner- 

 part of these notes. If they are to be mixed 

 together to form a " complete " manure, it 

 is, of course, necessary to take into con- 



as fiw in flowering and growth as the type, 

 and these are C J. alba, and C. J. superba, 

 the white flowers of the fornuM* liaving an 

 occasional tinge of mauve, hwt becoming 

 Mliiter as the plant gets oldiT, and the pur- 

 ])lc flowers of the latter differing from the 

 typo in their greater depth of colour and 

 better quality. The former, too, often pro- 

 diiccs a. few immeni^ double flowers in the 



sideration the tendency of the soil and the oarly summer before the main crop of buds 

 nature of the crops to be grown therein. 



AVhen applied separately, the phosphates 

 and potash should usually be given in the 

 autumn or early spring, and the nitrates in 

 two, dressings, one after the seedlings push 

 through the soil, and the other a few weeks 

 later. Of course, in order to become well 



is in sight. 



This clematis will grow in any ordinary 

 garden soil, and the richer it is the better. 



acquaint-ed with the actual numurial re- 

 quirements of the soil in any ])articular 

 garden, it is well to conduct trials on small 



for this reason ibasic slage is to be preferred, plots, giving a certain manurial treatment 



Superphosphate should be applied in con- 

 junction with stable manure at the rate 



to one plot, and withholding it from an- 

 other : the results will indicate fairly cor- 



of 3oz. or 4oz. per square yard; it can be rectly what manures are required. Practical 



mixed quite well with sulphate of ammonia, 

 Peruvian guano, potash salts, bone meal, 

 fish guano, dried blood, or any substances 

 whicli do not not contain nitric acid. Super- 

 phosphate and steamed bone flour are splen_ 

 didly adapted for light soils, and are also 

 beneficial to stiff soils wdiere spring manu- 

 ring is unavoidaible. The latter substance, 

 it may be remarked, has much to recom- 

 mend it for garden purposes. 



Potassic manures include kainit, sulphate 

 of potash, muriate of potash, and wood 

 ashes. Tlio first two are most commonly 

 used ; they ai e all soluible in water, and are 

 washed into the ground with the fii-st shower 

 of rain, and become at once available for 

 .the plant. On light, sandy, and chalky 

 soils, kainit is to be preferrecl, and should 

 be applied either early in autimin or winter. 

 There should be at least 12 per cent, of pure 

 potash, and, in addition to this, kainit wiW 

 contain something like 33 per cent, of com- 

 mon salt^ which /property renders it pecu- 

 l-arly suitable for light sandy soils. Sul- 

 phate of potash, 90 per cent., should con- 

 tain at least 50 per cent, of pure potash ; 

 It IS the most suitia.bV potash manure for 

 <'lav lands and potatoes, aiul may be applied 

 either in the autumn, winter, or spring, as 

 may be most convenient. 



For the guidance of the grower, it may 

 denoted that potash salts, especiallv kainit 

 and muriate of potash, make heavy' inroads 

 on the lime in the soil ; hence it is impor- 

 tant to see that there is no deficiency of this 

 t^onstituent. ^ 



that superphosphate, basic slag, phosphatic 

 ^uano, lx)ne manure, or some other form 

 phosphate of lime, should be applied in 

 ^^onjnnction with jxitash salts. Asparagus 

 IS a g<Kxi example of a crop which respond 

 ^ special dressing of potash, and goose- 

 ^mes may be classed in the same cate- 



f^wu'^, P^^' square vard sufficing 



^<^l the latter crop. All root crops, includ- 



growers will have- no difficulty in arranging 

 suitable tests, and the knowledge so gained 

 will be of exceeding value ; far more useful, 

 at any rate, than the knowledge of any 

 results gained elsewhere. 



The necessity arises in many gardens to 

 supply an organic manure, and for this 

 purpose fish guano is to be recommended. 

 It is an economical fertiliser, and contains 

 from 7 to 8 per cent, of nitrogen, 12 to^ 14 

 per cent, of phosphates, and 2 or 3 per 

 cent, of potash. Market gardeners speak 

 well of it, especially for vegetable crops, 

 and it is now considered an excellent or- 

 ganic source of ammonia. Rut fiom the 

 above figures it will be cle*ir tliat the per- 

 centages of phosphates an<l potash are com- 

 paratively small, and to make it a complete 

 manure these two ingredients must be 



added. J. C. N. 



ae 



The 



FTirther, it is recommended 



s 



parsmp, etc.. are bene- 



jng carrots, beet, 



tr\+ applications of potash. Ni- 



r P*'*^^^. «r common saltpetre, is 

 sea by some growers as a fertiliser for 



on nn' V '^-V. ac-customed to grow 



onions for exhibition regard it as excellent 



Sn^''" Pro<l"ction of first-class 



iiibs, beoause it supplies both nitrate and 



present ie the l>est time to overhaul this claas 

 of plants; the roots have now become active, 

 conseq uently those wintered in small pot^ 

 will need a shift into 48*6 — the most useful 

 size for house and table deeoration. It will 

 be noticed that draciPiias liavo tlcshy roots, 

 which always grow downwards^ and in some 

 cases protrude through the hole in the bot- 

 tom of the pots ; these root«^ may be 

 shortened back without any injury to the 

 growing plant, and used for propagating. 

 Old plants which have become leggy may 

 be used for stock. Old dracaenas may be 

 shaken clear of all potting compost, and the 

 fleshy roots cut up into inch lengths ; the 

 whole stem of the plant may also be cut up 

 and used for the same purpose. Prepare a 

 pan, well crocked, by filling with sandy loam 

 and peat, place the lengths evenly over the 

 surface, and cover them with one inch of the 

 compost; plunge the pan in a propagating 

 frame. Growth will soon appear, and when 

 the plantlets are large enough put tlieni 

 singly into small pots. Old plants having 

 fine headt^ may be " rung/' a pot which has 

 been broken equally in two vertically l>ehig 

 placed together again around the stem close 

 up to the foliage, tied in position, and filled 

 with sandy compost. If the compost is kept 

 moist roots will soon be emitted from the 

 ring or notch round the stem. When the 

 pots are full of roots, the stem may be 

 severed below the pot.— Lewis Smith. 



Like our native travellers' joy (C. vitalba) 

 it is essentially a plant of the chalk, and if 

 the .soil is not rich in this constituent, 

 chalk, ^^laktHl lime, or mortar rubbish 

 should b(^ mixe<l with the soil at the time 

 of ])lantiiig, and further dressings applied 

 every yeai* or two. the rrsidt being seen 

 in stui*(li*M* and nu)r(^ vigorous growth and 

 flowers of better substance. When young 

 plants are received from the nursery they 

 should always ho put ifi the soil three or 

 four inches <1(h'|)('1' than in tiio pot,^ at the 

 time of purchase as they will then have some 

 little protection from tin- tii)--i. and will 

 tlirow out roots along tlu' l)urie<l poi'iion 

 of tlu^ sxvm a< well as stron*: y<>*»iig 

 irrowtlis. A niuh li <tf nuinure befoi'o the 

 winter comes is heiK'fieial. 



Clematis .Ja<'kfnani would often be inu 

 pi()\ tMl hy more pruning than il commonly 

 gets, many being afraid of t^acrih<'ing any 

 length of stem. If it has an unlimiteci 

 growth oA^er trees it may be treated as a 

 wilding, the efltect protluced in this way 

 being very good, though the individual 

 flowers will not be fine. When, however, 

 the space is limited, as on wails^ arches, 

 pergolas, etc., it is best cut down to within 

 three or four feet of the ground, M*hen the 

 young growths will be very strong, and 

 will grow during May and June with nuir- 

 vellous rapidity, prinluoing an abuiidaiu-e 

 of b'oom in July and Augu>t. Sonu^ re- 

 commend doing this jMunini; in November 

 beeaiKsi^ of the earlier bloom ol)tainiMl, but 

 this nutans early spring shoots witli tlu' risk 

 of haviiiLi: them <*ut ofi' l)V tlu^ frot, ■ s with 

 r<ise<. A better way is to < ut ba< k :is tar 

 as is neetvssa ry for a <*ertain amount of 

 tidiness in Novenil>er, an<l to defer the 

 final cutting back till late March or early 

 April, whiMi a goo<l <l<'al of weuk growth 

 will be cut away, which is very likely to 

 be destroyed by frost, the gr^niter part of 

 the flowering shoots for the year breaking 

 out lower down. Ilie morning sun in early 

 spring >liining<ui tlu* frozen shoots will often 

 cau>-e their dtvsti uction. aud this slumld be 

 considered when ])lanting. It will grow 

 in almost any situation, but it objects to 

 cutting winds. 



C. Jackmani can be best propagated 

 by taking yotmg growths with a hwl of 

 old wood from below the surface of the 

 soil, and such will vometimes have a piece 

 of root to start with. The best time for 

 this is early spring before growth is far 

 advanced. Similar cuttings, however, may 

 be taken from any part of the plant and 

 struck in lieat. Clematis should n<"Vor bo 

 moved in the autumn, as this renders them 

 very liable to succumb in a ^harp winter, 

 the loest time being March or early in 

 ^\pi<il. Ai^oER Petts. 



