THR “ ELIXIR,” OR BUFFALO HORN MANURE. 45 
habit spreading, slender; flowers small, deep lilac with rosy blotch. 
Showy. 
21. G. Romanzovi (Benary). Height 12 inches; habit erect; 
flowers bluish-purple. A very worthless variety. 
YI. The “ Elixir,” or Buffalo Horn Manure. 
In April, 1876, Messrs. Taylor and Hughes, of the Anglo-French 
Horn Works, Grove Hoad, Clapham Junction, sent to the Boyal 
Horticultural Society’s Gardens, Chiswick, a small sample of 
manure with the following communication:—“Dear Sir,—We 
wish to draw your attention to this sample of pure Buffalo Horn 
Dust, an article which is used largely in the vineyards of France 
and Italy. It has also been tried here privately for this purpose, 
and find it is an excellent fertiliser; more particularly where mixed 
with other matter.” 
This material is simply the very fine shavings and scrapings 
from the manufacture of horns. It is of extremely light compo- 
nency, one bushel weighing about 30 lbs., and has somewhat the 
appearance of chopped lichen. 
It was in due course tried and tested in various ways, in com¬ 
parison with ordinary stable manure, guano, some patent chemical 
manures, &c. 
1. By admixture with the soil for the potting of plants, and for 
planting ; also as a top-dressing. 2. As a top-dressing by itself. 
The subjects operated upon were vines planted out—vines in 
pots; Peaches and other fruit trees in pots ; Fuchsias, Pelargo¬ 
niums, &c.; each of these subjects being treated in a corresponding 
manner with the other manures. The soil used in each case was 
the same—a pure, sandy loam, totally devoid of organic matters, 
and so wretchedly poor that those plants treated without any of 
the manures scarcely grew at all. 
, The results as to growth in each example treated with this 
manure were eminently satisfactory, the plants soon assuming a 
very deep green hue of foliage, and growing most luxuriantly; 
more marked than in either of the others. Where used as top- 
