460 
THE Tf?OT>ieHL AOm^ULTUmST. 
[December i, 189c. 
nitrate of soda, even on dry, sandy soil will produce a 
luxuriant growth of plant, and a profusion of the 
Jargest and most brilliant flowers. The effect of this 
manure on the growth of the Convolvulus bine, and the 
colour of the leaves, ard the size and beauty of the 
tiowers, is said to be most remarkable. The effect on 
Asters is equally satisfactory. 
Nithate or Soda fod STiiAtVBEimiES, Cukrants, 
AND Raspberries. 
The Strawberry grower knows the value of water. 
If he will try nitrate of soda he will find it wonderfully 
efiicacious. 
The effect of this fertiliser on Strawberries in the 
dry climate of the United States is very beneficial. It 
not only doubles or trebles the yield, but the berries 
are larger and handsomer, and consequently command 
a much higher price in the market. 
No ordinary amount of manure will produce so great 
an effect, for the rea.son that the plants grow and form 
their fruit early in the season. The nitrate furnishes 
the plants with nitric acid before the nitrogen of 
ordinary dung can be converted into this essential 
ingredient of plant food. 
A few years ago, Mr. Harris, published a statement 
in regard to the astonishing effect of a large dressing 
of nitrate of soda on an old Strawberry bed. The bed 
had been neglected, and was full of grass and weeds. 
At that time nitrate of soda had not been tried on 
Strawberries, and it was not known but that might 
injure them. But this particu'ar bed was so ruu out 
and worthle-s, that no anxiety was felt whether the 
nitrate killed the plants or not. 
Two or three heavy dressings were sown broad-ca.st, 
early in the spring and a few weeks later. Instead 
of killing the plants, the nitrate made them grow so 
vigorously that with a little assistance from a sharp 
hoe, and by pulling out the large weeds, the Straw- 
berries overpowered nearly all the grass, and remark- 
ably fine crop of fruit was obtained. 
Since that date nitrate of soda and superphosphate 
has been used on all Strawberry plantations, and this 
dressing is found far more effective and economical 
than stable dung. 
Another instance is given of an old Strawberry bed, 
iu its fifth year of bearing, which was in an exhausted 
condition and foul with weeds. This was dressed iu 
the spring of 1888 with 300 lb. of nitrate of soda per 
acre. The effect was amazing, for this bed of acre, 
from which hardly anything vfas expected, gave fully 
7000 quarts of Strawberries. The description was 
variety Orescent, with fertilising rows of Wilson, 
Sharpless, and others. The crop was nearly as large 
as the best the plot had made. This was on moist 
bottom-land, naturally fertile. Nitrate of soda is, at 
least, equally as good for Raspberries as for Straw- 
berries. On Currants, with clean cultivation, large 
crops of fine fruit have been raised for several years, 
with a top-dre.s.sing of niti'ate of soda alone, applied on 
each .side of the rows early in the spring. 
On poor land it is recommended to apply superphos- 
phate and potash iu the autumn, and plough or cul- 
tivate them in ; and the following spring — and, in fact, 
every spring — give a top-dressing of nitrate. 
Nitrate of Soda and AVeeds. 
From what has been said about the effect of nitrate 
on the old grassy Strawberry-bed, it must not be in- 
ferred that this substance will kill weeds and nourish 
wliolesome plants. Nitrate of soda, properly used, 
makes “ rich laud ; ” and it is known that weeds, if 
they have the chance, will grow luxuriantly in rich soil. 
It is also well hiiown that a light, tbin crop, favours 
the growth of weeds, while a heavy, “smothering 
crop,” will hold them in check. Much depends on 
whether the crop or the weeds get the start. Hence, 
it is of vast importance to make the land as clean as 
possible before sowing the crop, and to keep down tlie 
weeds by the I'recjueot use (if the cultivator and hoc. 
If this is done, nitrate of soda will make the crop 
grow BO rapidly that it will smother or check the weeds. 
On the other, if this is not done, the weeds will prove 
better fighters than the cro];) we want to rBise, oud 
they will secure the lion’s share of the nitrate, and 
with the nitrate they will also appropriate other plant 
food and moisture, and thus the nitrate, instead of 
helping the crop, may actually injure it. There will 
be a large total growsh of vegetation, but it is vegeta- 
tion of the wrong kind. 
Nitrate of Soda for Tomatos. 
Professor Voorhees, of the New .Jersey experiment 
station, made experiments with different fertilisers on 
Tomatos in 1889. The trials were made on the farm of 
Mr. 0. M. Housell, an intelligent praotical gardener, 
who attended to all the details. The results were as 
follows : — 
Manures used per acre. 
Cost of 
Manures 
Value of 
the crop 
per acre. 
Dols. 
Dols. 
Without manure... 
271-88* 
20 tons stable dung 
8 tons stable dungand400 1b.com- 
30 
291-75 
plete fertilizer... 
15 
317-63 
1601b. nitrate soda alone, ., 
4 
36113 
The above manures were all applied May 7. On 
an adjoining plot, 160 lb. of nitrate of soda was sown 
May 7, and again on June 12, when the Tomatos were 
beginning to set ; another dressing of 160 lb. was sown 
on the 6urfac.e around the plants. This plot produced 
a crop which sold for 369 dols. per acre. 
The first dressing of 1601b. of nitrate yielded a profit 
of 8525 dollars per acre; the second dressing of 320 lb. 
produced a profit of only 3 87 dollars per acre. 
It is evident, therefore, that 160 lb. of nitrate of 
soda per acre was all that the plants needed, or could 
make use of without a greater supply of phosphoric 
acid and potash than the soil afforded. 
In addition to the above experiments. Professor 
Voorhees made others that are worthy of consideration. 
The results may be tabulated as below ; — 
Manures per acre and date 
of sowing. 
Dost of 
Manure. 
Value of 
crop per 
acre. 
A. 
Without Manure 
Dols. 
Dols. 
271 -88 
B. 
160 lb. Muriate of Potash 1 
300 lb. Superphosphate J 
7-2 
284-25 
C. 
Same as B. with 600 lb. Nitrate | 
Soda, May 7 J 
11-2 
356-63 
D. 
Same as C. with 160 lb. addi- J 
tional Nitrate, June 12 j 
15-2 
429-33 
E. 
Same as B. with 320 lb of Nitr- 1 
rate, May 7 j 
15 2 
395-25 
It will be seen that the addition of phosphates and 
potash to the 1601b, of nitrate soda had no effect. 
The reason for this is, that the soil could furnish 
enough phosphoric acid and potosh for all that the 
crop produced by the 160 lb. of nitrate required. But 
when an additional 160 lb. of nitrate was used, then 
the phosphoric acid and potash came into play, and 
the cr(ip brought 429 38 dollars per acre. 
It will be seen further, that the 320 lb. of nitrate 
applied May 7 on Plot E., did not have as great an 
effect as the same amount of nitrate of soda applied at 
two dressings, on Plot D. 
It may surprise many gardeners that 20 tons of good 
stable manure did not produce as large a crop of 
Tomato.s as 160 lb. of nitrate of soda. The 20 tons 
of dung contained not loss then 160 lb. of nitrogen, 
while the nitrate of soda contained only 25 lb. And 
that the great effect produced by the nitrate of soda 
was due to the nitrogen, there is abundant evidence. 
, Why then, did not the 160 lb. of nitrogen in the 
dung do as much good as the 26 lb. in the nitrate ? 
Simply because the nitrogen in the dung has to be 
converted into nitric acid before the plants can use it. 
— J. J. Willis, Harpenden. — Gardenevi’ Chronicle. 
* A dollar is equal to about 4s, 24, 
