COMMONPLACE NOTES. 



671 



as 100 gallons to one large tree at once, and found a very marked im- 

 provement in wood, foliage, and fruit the following season. 



N.B. — Strong liquid manure should never be given in summer when 

 the ground is dry and the sun powerful. At such times it should be 

 diluted with at least three parts of water to one of liquid manure. 



India-rubber. 



Much interest is now being taken in the growth of rubber-yielding 

 trees, and many Fellows living abroad may be glad to know where to 

 look for information. A Fellow who has recently been reading the 

 matter up kindly sends the following note : — " You may find many useful, 

 notes and hints in the ' Kew Bulletin of Miscellaneous Information ' under 

 the following dates and headings: — May 1890, ' Lagos Rubber ' ; July 1890, 

 ' Columbian Rubber ' ; March 1892, ' Sources of Rubber Supply ' ; July 

 1893, ' Para Rubber in Ceylon ' ; March and April 1896, ' Rubber 

 Industry at Lagos ' ; September and October 1896, ' Cultivation of India- 

 rubber in Assam ' ; October 1898, ' Para Rubber.' See also the Consular 

 Report of rubber-growing countries published by the Foreign Office. It 

 seems very difficult to estimate the probable yield of rubber per acre, as 

 so many different figures are given by different people, due probably to 

 the many different kinds of rubber-yielding trees and to the various 

 climates concerned." 



Artificial Manure for Gardens. 



A Fellow, who forgot to sign his name, writes to us thus : — 

 " I have some thought of using artificial manure for my garden instead 

 of stable manure, which is very difficult to get. My garden is well drained, 

 and the soil light and good ; the question is whether the artificial manure 

 fully takes the place of stable manure ? If in your opinion this is so, 

 what manure would you advise for general garden purposes ? " 



We are not of opinion that any artificial manure "fully takes the 

 place of stable," especially if it is used year after year continuously. Why 

 this is so it would take too long here to explain. Artificial is an excellent 

 substitute for stable manure, and it is a magnificent addition to it, but 

 we do not think it can ever take its place entirely for a series of years. 

 For such a soil as described in the above letter, we should advise a mix- 

 ture of 1 oz. of nitrate of soda, 1 oz. of muriate of potash, and 2 ounces of 

 superphosphate to every square yard. Precaution should be taken in two 

 ways : first, only to put it on when the crops are actually growing, and root 

 action consequently active, otherwise the potash and nitrate, being so 

 soluble, will be wasted if put on when the roots are at rest or the land 

 fallow. Secondly, it should be carefully strewn on the ground, and not 

 sprinkled all over the foliage. Such an artificial manure might be used 

 two years consecutively, but in the third we should advise stable dung, 

 and if from cow-stables the better for light land. Far better, however, 

 would be a light dressing of dung dug-in in February, and then half ths 

 amount of artificial when the plants are in growth. 



