HORTICULTURAL SOILS. 



73 



produce the greatest fertility, and the practical value of the 

 results is the fact that, knowing the substances directly assimil- 

 able by plants and the character of the soil to be cultivated, 

 the horticulturist may, by means of applying the elements that 

 are wanting, obtain the conditions best suited to his particular 

 cultures. 



Most horticulturists have heard of " Jadoo fibre," and 

 although it is not a soil, yet, as it is recommended to take the 

 place of mould in gardening practice, I have thought it desirable 

 to bring the subject before you. 



We have seen that the surface soil of a prairie, a forest, or a 

 permanent pasture is exceedingly rich in organic matter, and 

 that the inherent fertility of the soil may be very accurately 

 gauged by estimating the amount of such organic matter, and of 

 the quantity of nitrogen contained in it. It is the surface soil 

 of a very rich prairie that the Jadoo fibre most nearly resembles. 



Colonel Halford Thompson, the inventor of the Jadoo pro- 

 cess, says the material consists of peat-moss, to which soot, bone- 

 meal, and gypsum, with a small quantity of phosphoric acid and 

 potash, have been added. These ingredients are boiled together, 

 and undergo a process which Col. Thompson calls " fermentation," 

 and he says that the whole essence of the success of Jadoo fibre 

 for plant-culture lies in the amalgamation by this " fermentation " 

 of the various plant-food ingredients. 



When Colonel Thompson understood that I was preparing 

 the present Lecture he very kindly supplied me with a quantity 

 of the fibre for analysis and experiment. Table V. shows the 

 composition by a partial analysis of the substance. 



TABLE V.— Jadoo Fibre. Its Chemical Composition. 

 Organic matter (water-free) .... 21-75 per cent. 

 Moisture . . 78-25 



Jadoo Fibre. 



Total 



100-000 



Mineral matter (ash) 

 Nitrogen . 



In fresh 

 Per cent. 

 2-70 

 0-27 



In dry 

 Per cent. 

 12-41 

 0-96 



These results show that Jadoo fibre contains 21 J per cent, 

 of organic matter, with 78£ per cent, of moisture. The mineral 



