834 



JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 



to gardeners. Samples were drawn from trucks consigned to Kent and 

 the Midlands respectively. They yielded on analysis : — 



Analyses of Representative Samples of Fresh London Stable Manure (Peat 

 Manure and Strait) Manure mixed), 1903. 





No. 1. 



No. 2. 



Average. 



Moisture 



. 76-09 



61-98 



69-04 



Organic matter &c. (loss on ignition) 



. 19-30 



26-37 



22-82 



Phosphoric acid .... 



0-33 



0-45 



0-39 





0-55 



1-28 



0-92 



Potash 



0-45 



0-58 



0-51 



Undetermined constituents . 



0-09 



2-70 



1-70 



Silicious matter (mainly sand) 



2-59 



6-64 



4-62 





10000 



100-00 



100-00 



Total nitrogen in above : — 











0-08 1 n * a 

 0-46 1 °"° 4 



°' 08 1 0-70 

 0 62 } u ' u 



°' 08 lo-62 

 0-54 j 0 62 



There are also analyses of samples taken from large heaps which had 

 been stored in the open from summer to spring, and comparison of the 

 composition of these with the fresh shows that about 40 per cent, of 

 the organic matter disappeared in the fermentation. As this organic 

 matter is of such immense value as a physical ameliorator of the soil, the 

 loss is a serious one, and this article will do great service in drawing 

 attention to the fact. There is no comment on the advantages which are 

 usually believed to accrue from such fermentation (apart from the practical 

 convenience of placing in heaps ready for use) : i.e. the destruction of 

 many objectionable seeds — Oats, weeds, &c. — also the formation of the 

 valuable nitrate nitrogen if covered with layers of earth. There are several 

 factors for the cultivator to consider, and this article draws attention to 

 one about which little was known, but which must not be forgotten. 



F. J. B. 



Manures, Experiments with Artificial. By Dr. R. Otto (Garten- 

 flora, Feb. 1, p. 58, and Oct. 15, 1904, p. 534).— May profitably be con- 

 sulted by those who are interested in the scientific employment of artificial 

 manures. These articles are reports of experiments which have actually 

 been made with a view to testing the efficacy of different kinds of artificial 

 manures. The experiments were carried out on plants cultivated in each 

 case under the same conditions, one set of plants being manured with one 

 kind of manure, another set of plants with another kind of manure, and, 

 again, a third set of plants being left without any manure at all. At the 

 conclusion of these experiments the results were carefully noted and are 

 given in these articles. — B. C. B. N. 



Manures, The Use of Artificial (Jour. Bd. Ayr. vol. x., No. 4, 

 1908, pp. 438-446). — This article supplies practical information regarding 

 the use of these substances, and is based upon a set of recently conducted 

 experiments. It is claimed that the " basis of all systems of manuring 

 should be dung. This does not mean that this substance should be 

 applied concurrently with artificial manures, but merely that the land 

 from which the crops are taken should periodically receive a fair dressing 

 of this fertiliser." Although the supply of dung may alone maintain a 

 farm in fair fertility, it seldom, if ever, happens that the home-made 



