Oct.  1,  1895.] 
SuppUincnt  to  the  “ Tropical  Agriculturist." 
295 
less  impregnated  with  manure  is  especially  valu- 
able, as  it  will  not  only  help  to  retain  the  moisture 
in  the  soil,  but  also  manure  it.  AVeeds,  so  long 
as  they  do  not  contain  too  much  seed,  brush 
wood,  and  muck  of  all  descriptions  will  answer 
verj'  well  as  a mulch.  The  depth  ot  a mulch  may 
varj'  with  the  conditions  01  tne  sm  and  the 
quantity  of  material  at  hand.  Some  people  spread 
mulch  all  over  the  surface  of  their  land  to  a depth 
of  one  foot,  but  perhaps  a depth  of  from  three  to 
six  inches  is  about  the  average.  AYater  may  be 
most  beneficially  applied  in  connection  with  mulch. 
Some  people  apply  it  by  simply  pouring  it  over 
the  top  of  tlie  mulch,  and  letting  it  soak  through 
to  the  soil,  while  others  remove  the  mulch  from 
around  the  tree,  open  a small  trench  some  five 
or  six  feet  from  the  tree, and  pour  in  a quantity 
of  water,  permitting  it  to  soak  into  the  soil  and 
replacing  the  mulch.  By  the  latter  method  a 
smaller  quantity  of  water  will  probably  suffice 
to  moisten  the  soil  than  if  poured  over  the  mulch, 
as  in  the  latter  case  a considerable  quantity 
might  be  lost  through  evaporation,  but  if  the 
mulch  is  kept  moist  it  will  decay  all  the  quicker, 
and  furnish  its  manurial  ingredients  to  the  soil. 
One  of  the  chief  objects  of  mulching  is,  however’, 
to  shade  the  soil  from  the  sun’s  rays,  and  keep 
it  from  cracking  and  drying  up.  It  also  has  n 
powerful  capillary  action  in  drawing  the  subsoil 
water  to  the  surface  and  so  keeping  the  surface 
moist,  thus  furnishing  needful  water  to  the  lateral 
rootlets  of  the  plant. 
“ Coal  ashes,”  says  the  Editor  of  the  Cape 
Agricultural  Journal,  “ contain  a small  quantity 
of  potash.  AA'ood  ashes  vary  in  the  quantity  of 
potash  they  contain  from  4 up  to  10  per  cent. 
All  the  sources  of  supply 
of  this  material  should  be  most  carefully  hus- 
banded and  kept  dry,  as  rain  will  soon  wash 
all  the  potash  out  of  ashes  and  under  them  almost 
valueless.  AVhere  lime  is  burnt  with  wood,  the 
mixture  of  lime  and  ashes  produced  in  the 
process  will  be  useful  for  trees  and  crops.  One 
of  the  principal  sources  of  potash  tor  manure 
is  0-jrinar  Kainic  worth  in  London  aboUe.  £2  ICa 
per  ton,  and  containing,  in  the  best  quality,  about 
14  per  cent  of  potash.” 
The  N.S.  ir.  Agricultural  Gazette  refers  to  a 
warning  that  comes  from  America  as  to  a much- 
advertised  so-called  fodder  plant  known  as  saca- 
liiie.  This  is  a polygonum,  and,  as  European  and 
American  seedsmen’s  catalogues  reach  this  country, 
it  is  just  as  well  to  take  time  by  the  forelock,  and 
warn  searchers  after  novelty  against  any  extensive 
trial  of  this  plant.  It  is  stated  that  none  of  the 
more  conservative  seedsmen  include  it  in  their 
lists,  and  the  reason  of  this  is  probably  fully 
explained  in  the  following  opinion  of  it  by  the 
head  man  of  one  of  the  largest  seed  firms  in 
Philadelphia.  He  says  : — “ Look  out ! for  you 
will  be  terribly  disappointed  if  you  expect  to 
realise  the  hopes  that  the  glowing  descriptions 
from  Europe  would  seem  to  warrant.  In  a couple 
of  years  they  will  make  roots  the  thickness  of  a 
man’s  arm,  circling  and  running  in  all  directions 
through  the  ground.  AYhen  once  the  plants  are 
established,  you  may  try  with  all  your  might,  but 
you  cannot  destroy  them ; they  simply  laugh  at 
you,  and  grow  so  much  the  stronger.  Farmers, 
do  you  want  to  spoil  and  infest  your  land  ? Then 
plant  polygonum  (sacaline).” 
Never  add  lime  to  a manure  containing  nitrogen  ; 
and  when  lime  has  been  applied  to  the  land,  do 
not  use  such  manures  until  about  three  weeks 
afterwards. 
