472 
JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
soils : it is best dug in at the rate of 6 lb. or 8 lb. per square rod 
when the land is trenched. Superphosphate is the most active 
of the manures of this type, but should only be used when the 
soil contains naturally a fair supply of lime, on the loams and 
the chalky soils rather than on sands or gravels or the cold clays. 
One or other of these manures is all but indispensable in a 
garden: with a supply of steamed bone flour or phosphatic 
guano, and dung, a gardener need trouble himself but little 
about other fertilisers. 
About the effect of potash, the third of our elements of 
fertility, little positive is known ; but in a general way it may be 
said that where dung is at all regularly used little is required 
in the way of specific potash dressings. But where dung is 
not employed, or where the soil is of a light sandy nature and 
likely to be deficient in potash, it will be necessary to apply 
kainit at the rate of 4 lb. or 5 lb. per square rod every second or 
third year, preferably putting it on in the winter or late 
autumn. 
In some orchards and gardens dung cannot be obtained : in 
such cases it is necessary to obtain as a basis for the manuring 
some slowly acting nitrogenous body of an organic origin, such 
as meat meal, fish guano, or rape dust, digging this into the 
ground at the rate of 8 lb. to 12 lb. per square rod in the winter. 
With it should go 41b. to 61b. per square rod of a phosphatic 
manure like steamed bone flour or phosphatic guano, and 
kainit every other year or so. Finally, as the plants are 
beginning to grow, a little active nitrogen in the shape of 
sulphate of ammonia or nitrate of soda may be used along 
with superphosphate. The gardener working without dung 
should lose no opportunity of taking catch crops of Mustard or 
Vetches, and digging them into the soil. The land may be brought 
into splendid condition by heavily manuring with artificials for 
a crop of this sort, and turning it in a month or two before the 
ground is wanted again. 
A few general directions may be given for the use of artificial 
manures. The best returns are obtained by applying them to 
growing, rather than established, plants. I have seen recently 
planted Strawberries enormously benefited by a dressing of 
artificial manures that produced no sensible effect on two or 
three year old plants alongside. As to quantities, 1 oz. per 
