August 2, 1883. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
85 
well up in chemistry this looks as if the difference were considerable ; 
H ) 
but rearranged this way the similarity is seen :—H > N is one 
Hj 
EH 
molecule of ammonia, or HH 
HH 
^ is a double molecule. Each of these 
atoms of hydrogen may be replaced by a variety of elements and so 
form many differing compounds. In the case of urea CO replaces 
HH 
HH, and we have (CO) 
HH 
N 
N 
= urea, which is thus seen to be as rich 
in nitrogen as is ammonia. Of this highly nitrogenous manure horse 
urine contains 3-1 per cent., and that of the cow 1-8 when the animals 
are well fed ; but something depends on the feeding, exercise, and 
amount of liquid consumed. Urine is best employed for moistening 
manure heaps or for making manure water. For the latter purpose 
it is especially valuable, needing no preparation except dilution with 
water. Applied to wet soils six parts of water to one of urine will 
be sufficiently weak to be safe, but for pot plants, for application to 
dry soil, or for watering overhead, as must be done in the case of 
application to lawns or other grass plots, eight or nine parts of water 
is not too much. It is always best to err on the safe side with such a 
powerful manure. For starting plants that are fairly rooted, for 
feeding stunted crops in poor soil, for stimulating pot plants, helping 
overloaded trees to finish their crops, or for instantaneously renovating 
poverty-stricken lawns, such manure is invaluable. 
Fowl, pigeon, rook, and such manures are very rich in nitrogen, 
containing from 1 to 4 per cent, of ammonia (nitrogen equal to) per 
cent, in the fresh state, and resembling guano when dried. Very 
much the same may be said of night soil. All these are also rich in 
phosphates. 
Being very concentrated and apt to clog into adhesive lumps, dried 
loam or clay should always be used in the cots, coops, closets, &c., 
where these are deposited. This will keep the air sweet, for no better 
disinfectant or deodoriser exists. It will prevent the nitrogen 
escaping, and will produce an easily pulverised manure, which can be 
distributed thinly and evenly where its presence will tell very 
beneficially when applied to gross-feeding crops. 
The superiority of bone dust over coprolites or other phosphates is 
that nitrogen equal to from to 4^ per cent, is present in fresh 
bones. When boiled the amount is generally from 2^ to 3 per cent., 
but rather less in s!earned bones. As steamed bones can be ground 
to a finer powder than fresh or even boiled bones, the effect is often 
equal or even superior to the more nitrogenous bone meal. 
As a source of nitrogen gardeners have drawn on guano perhaps 
as much as anything. For making manure water it has been used 
very largely, and with reason, for it is rich in not only nitrogen but 
in every other plant food, notably phosphates. Not that a real liquid 
manure can contain phosphates to any appreciable extent, but few 
gardeners hav r e hitherto distinguished sufficiently between waters 
containing matter in solution only, and that containing matter in 
suspension as well. Indeed, most desire water containing solids— 
something that can be seen. Because of this, guano which has not only 
much nitrogen easily dissolved, but also fine matter easily suspended, 
has been a favourite. 
There are many kinds of guano, but the best known and the most 
reliable is that termed Peruvian. This is found in several small 
islands off the coast of Peru, and is the remains of vast deposits of 
the droppings of seafowls. In some places beds 100 feet thick 
are found, and in some years as much as 200,000 tons have been 
imported into the Uni ed Kingdom. Although fhe supplies are 
exhausted in some of the islands enormous quantities still remain. 
In ancient times the aboriginal Peruvians used this manure largely, 
and set so high a value on it that they punished with death those 
who were found disturbing the birds whose excrement it is. 
It is only in hot and rainless (or nearly so) countries that deposits 
of highly nitrogenous guano are possible. These conditions exist 
in the latitude and longitude of Peru, and as the guano is only dried 
excrement from which ammonia has not been driven nor nitrates 
washed, it is rich in nitrogen. Average samples should contain 
about 12 per cent, of ammonia (nitrogen equal to) ; but as these 
guanos are less uniform in quality than what they were formerly, 
it is well not to purchase largely without a satisfactory guarantee, 
for few articles have been so much “ doctored u as guano. Ordinary 
samples should contain not under 25 to 27 of calcic phosphate. 
Dissolved Peruvian guano has been largely used of late years. In 
ordinary guano part of the nitrogen exists combined in guanine. 
This is insoluble. But when guano is treated with sulphuric anhy¬ 
dride this is rendered soluble, as well as are the phosphates, while 
th 3 ammonia is “fixed" by being converted into the sulphate. Dis¬ 
solved guano (known also as ammonia-fixed guano) is wonderfully 
constant in composition. Sometimes, however, the ammonia present 
is barely over 8 per cent., and sometimes it is as high as 12. This 
makes a great deal of difference in the values of the samples. 
Ichaboe guano frequently contains 13 per cent, of ammonia, but 
only 11 of phosphates. On the other hand, Mejillones contains only 
0-75 per cent, of ammonia, but 71T6 of calcic phosphates. It is a 
capital article for treating with vitriol in the making of super¬ 
phosphate, but may be used alone, being of easy distribution. 
Sometimes it is sold mixed with nitrate of soda.— Single-handed. 
(To be continued.) 
DISHONEST SHOWING. 
What a pity it is that the pleasure of flower shows should be marred 
by such disgraceful incidents as that recorded in your last week’s 
impression as having occurred at the Sheffield Bose Show. An exhibitor 
who has toiled late and early for weeks to bring his exhibits up to the 
requisite standard of perfection is often sorely disappointed when fairly 
defeated ; but it must be galling indeed to suspect that they have been, 
imposed upon, and still be powerless to prove it, as is the case many a 
time. Managers of shows should use every means in their power to 
prevent honest exhibitors from being driven out of the field by men 
whose pleasure in gaining prizes may be compared to those experienced 
by a clever burglar upon getting clear off with his booty. I think a 
little more publicity would have a healthy effect. If the names of both 
the exhibitors implicated in the Sheffield affair had been published, 
would it not have been more effectual in preventing others from trying 
the same ? One of the best means of stamping out dishonest exhibitors 
wonld be for all societies to take action together, and establish a. 
“ black list,” by publishing the names of those who have been found 
guilty of dishonesty in either showing what they have not grown or 
supplying others with plants or flowers for that purpose. With such a 
published list of offenders, and combined action on the part of managers 
of shows in so framing their rules as to be able to prevent those exhi¬ 
biting who have been disqualified at home or elsewhere, I think some 
little check would be given to this degrading practice. 
For several years I have taken much interest in local shows in the 
neighbourhood in which I have resided, and during those years so many 
little things came to my knowledge in the way of begging, borrowing— 
not to say stealing—that I had to considerably alter my opinion as to 
the amount of good done by the promotion of flower shows in the 
mining districts of the north of England. I could give not a few 
instances of how societies have been imposed upon, and honest men 
deprived of prizes which they were worthy of receiving and honestly 
entitled to. I will only refer to one. Some years ago I was one of the 
committee of a good local show. We had a “ thorn in the side ” in the 
shape of a local amateur, who often carried off first honours with plants 
which we suspected he did not honestly grow. The bone of contention 
was a prize for six stove and greenhouse plants in bloom. It was 
resolved to put him under the supervision of a visiting committee, for 
which the rules of the Society provided. After this we found he could 
not do quite as well, and sometimes failed to make up a six at alL 
This occurred on the occasion I am about to refer. About ten days after 
the date of our local show a friend and I were starting on a journey 
to Carlisle to see the International held there in 1877—memorable for 
the unpropitious state of the weather ; and on drawing up at a certain 
station our attention was attracted by a well-bloomed plant of Clero- 
dendron Thomsonii on the platform, which was promptly placed in the 
van by a gardener living close by, well known to us both. Ere the 
train reached its destination we had occasion to change, and we had 
the curiosity to peep into the van, and found this plant addressed to 
our friend the amateur at the next station. From this we concluded 
it was intended for a local show which was to come off next day some 
forty miles distant. The day after our return from Carlisle the daily 
paper was eagerly scanned, when we found that our enterprising 
amateur had shown “ sixteen plants in bloom ” in three classes and 
obtained a prize in each class 1 We were also a little surprised to find 
that the gardener—a gentleman’s gardener, to his shame be it said— 
who placed the plant referred to in the van acted as one of the judges 
on this occasion. 
These are bare facts which need not be enlarged upon. I would 
fain hope that such cases are rare, and that the great majority who take 
their productions to the exhibition table do so honestly. There are few 
pursuits from which a greater amount of pleasure can be had than in 
cultivating plants, flowers, and fruits with the ultimate object of com- 
paring them at a flower show with the produce of our neighbours, and 
I think it is not right that a few “black sheep” should be allowed to 
spoil that pleasure.—A Working Gardener. 
Fruit and Cholera. — I am sorry to find that in connection with, the 
alarm of an approach of cholera (for which there seems little foundation) 
a variety of very ridiculous assertions are now getting current amongst the 
public, which may prove prejudicial to the interests of market gardeners. 
People are being cautioned against eating vegetables and fruit generally, 
and some kinds are specially denounced with no show of reason- "YV e all 
know that stale vegetables, and unripe or over-ripe fruit, are bad at any 
time; but there is really no evidence that a renunciation of these “ fruit* 
of the earth” wards off any epidemic; in fact, a moderate use of them 
in the form of the customary mixed diet, is rather beneficial than other 
