Septemter 13, 1883. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
237 
be worth £15 l0.s.; sal-ammoniac (ammonic chloride) with 31 '7 
percent, worth £31 17S. Gr/.; bones with 3‘G per cent, over £3 
for that one item in addition to what would be allowed for the 
phosphate. 
Phosphates are valued according to their source and solu¬ 
bility. Soluble bone phosphate was recently allowed a money 
value of £19 5 s. per ton, but that from bone ash only £15, and 
from mineral phosphates £14 4s. There is something arbitrary 
in this, as soluble—that is, monocalcic, phosphate is of equal 
value, no matter whence its source. There is more meaning in 
allowing £11 10s. for the insoluble phosphate in bonemeal, 
£8 l5s. for those in bone ash, and £7 10s. for insoluble phosphates 
derived from mineral sources; but even in such instances the 
values are only approximate, as a good deal depends on the 
mechanical division of the particles. Potash as sulphate is 
allowed a money value of 2s. 6r/. per unit. 
To make the subject quite clear we will take a sample of 
■ordinary manure and calculate its value according to the unit 
system. 
Farmyard Manure. 
Water.1. 
* Organic Matters . 
t Ash .. . 
* Containing Nitrogen equal to Ammonia ... 
f Containing Potash. 
„ Phosphate (monocalcic). 
... 710 
... 24-G 
... 4'4 
0'54 
0-52 
050 
t 
As nothing else is valued, but yet are of value in farmyard 
manure, full value should be allowed for those that are calcu¬ 
lated, even although much of them may not be immediately avail¬ 
able. Yalued in this way the above may be summed up thus— 
£ s. d. 
Nitrogen. 0 9 G 
Phosphate . 0 1 11 
Potash . 0 13 
£0 12 8 
which is more than is usually given or allowed by chemists for 
similar samples. Farmyard manure is, however, not often so 
rich as the above, especially when straw is very plentifully used. 
As seaweed often contains as much nitrogen and phosphoric 
acid as farmyard manure and often four times as much potash, 
its real value is seen to be greater. Urine which contains 
Urea . 3'1 
Potash . 1-2 
is certainly worth £2 per ton. Only pure horse urine is as rich as 
that, however. It is generally largely diluted, but even though 
containing an addition of three parts of pure water to one of the 
liquid, it still equals in value ordinary manure. Cow urine is 
worth about the half of that from the horse. 
Perhaps we cannot illustrate this part of our subject better 
than by reproducing a table submitted to the Scottish Horti- 
cultu’al Association in 1879 by W. Ivison Macadam, F.C.S., 
Edinburgh, when reading an essay on the food of plants. 
ASSOCIATION STANDARDS FOR THE VALUATION OF MANURES— 
SEASON 1879. 
Per Ton. 
Per Unit. 
Genuine Vitriolated Bones — 
£ 
S. 
d. 
£ 
5. 
d. 
Soluble Phosphates. 
... 19 
2 
4 
... 0 
3 
10 
Insoluble do. 
... 11 
13 
4 
... 0 
2 
4 
Ammonia . 
... 80 
0 
0 
... 0 
16 
0 
Other Dissolved Bones — 
Soluble Phosphates. 
... 17 
0 
0 
... 0 
3 
6 
Insoluble do. 
... 10 
0 
0 
... 0 
2 
0 
Ammonia .. ... 
... 80 
0 
0 
... 0 
16 
0 
Dissolved Bone Ash — 
Soluble Phosphates. 
... 15 
0 
0 
... 0 
3 
0 
Insoluble do. 
... 8 
15 
0 
... 0 
1 
9 
Mineral Superphosphate — 
Soluble Phosphates. 
... 14 
3 
4 
... 0 
2 
10 
Insoluble do. ... 
... 7 
10 
0 
... 0 
1 
G 
Bonemeal — 
Phosphates . 
... 10 
0 
0 
... 0 
2 
0 
Ammonia . 
... 70 
0 
0 
... 0 
14 
0 
High-class Guano — 
Soluble and Alkaline Phosphates 
... 19 
0 
o 
4 
... 0 
3 
10 
Insoluble do. do. 
... 11 
13 
4 
... 0 
2 
4 
Ammonia . 
... 90 
0 
0 
... 0 
18 
0 
Potash as Sulphate. 
... 12 
10 
0 
... 0 
2 
G 
Per Ton. 
Per U 
Guano Superphosphate — 
£ 
s. 
d. 
£ 
s. 
Soluble and Alkaline Phosphates 
... 15 
0 
0 . 
.. 0 
3 
Insoluble do. do. £8 15 
0 to 10 
0 
0 . 
.. 0 
1 
Ammonia . 
... 80 
0 
0 . 
.. 0 
1G 
Potash as Sulphate. 
... 12 
10 
0 . 
.. 0 
o 
Nitrate of Soda — 
Nitrogen as Ammonia . 
... 70 
0 
0 . 
.. 0 
14 
Sulphate of Potash — 
Potash as Sulphate. 
... 12 
10 
0 . 
.. 0 
2 
There is a manure in the market, and it is only one of a class, 
“for Roses, Vines, and orchard trees.” The followdng is its 
composition— 
Moisture. 
Organic Matter and Ammonia Salts. 
(containing Nitrogen equal to Ammonia) 
Soluble Phosphoric Acid . 
(equal to Phosphate of Lime) . 
Insoluble Phosphoric Acid. 
(equal to Phosphate of Lime) . 
Lime. 
Potash . 
Nitrate of Soda . 
Sand, ifcc. 
5'5G 
44-33 
(9 96) 
1 02 
(2 23) 
1303 
(28-44) 
16-54 
0 56 
11-98 
G 98 
100-00 
As sold this costs retail about £88 per ton. Of course tins have 
to be paid for ; wholesale and retail dealers have each to get pro¬ 
fit after paying assistants’wages and storage, carriage, &c., while 
the “inventor” expects something. Yet what is this manure ? 
A mixture of ammonia salts, nitrate of soda, phosphates, and 
some other articles of little value. When once gardenei-s, amateur 
and professional, know exactly what plants want, the forms of 
food best suited to them, and the sources, much more artificial 
manure will be used than now, yet much less money spent.— 
Single-handed. 
Tomatoes v. Wasps. —Is it true that wasps will not enter a vinery 
or fruit house if a few Tomato plants are grown in it ? I am informed 
that this is the case, and it accords with my own experience of this 
year. We were greatly troubled outside, but have very few inside the 
houses.—J. P., Dublin. 
WORKjoibTHE WEEK. 
r^i 
j 
Mill 
r 
pi 
in 
\ 
'A 
c 
L 
—. 
KITCHEN GARDEN. 
Autumn Cabbage .—The seed sown some time ago has now produced 
plants large enough to transfer from the beds to the main quarters, and 
as this crop is a very important one, the best attention should be given 
it. Good Cabbages are never produced at any season on poor land, and 
to grow them of the highest excellence they must be very liberally 
treated. Where a piece of ground was heavily manured for a previous 
crop more need not be added before planting Cabbages, but otherwise 
a good dressing should be dug in before planting. The situation selected 
should be very open. Plants tenderly reared in autumn never pass 
through a severe w-inter well. Drills about 3 inches deep and 18 inches 
apart should be drawn, and into these the plants should be dibbled 
18 inches apart. These drills help greatly to protect the young plants 
while small, and by-and-by the soil can be levelled up to their stems, 
when they will remain secure for the winter. For planting now only the 
largest should be drawn out of the seed rows, and the smaller may be 
left to remain throughout the winter, or be planted out as a succession 
in a fortnight’s time. 
Winter Cucumbers .—These are now making satisfactory progress, 
and they cannot be too much exposed to the light or robustly grown. 
The best way of training them is to take the main stem up 4 feet or so 
before stopping, then train a few shoots from each side. These must not 
on any account be crowded, as success all depends on their making free, 
clean, and robust growth, and this they never will do if too much crowded. 
Liquid manure should not be given until after they are in full bearing. 
Old plants now showing signs of decaying should have the dying leaves 
removed, all superfluous fruits cut off, and a little extra bottom beat 
and liquid manure applied, when the result will be a stimulus to the 
crop, w-hich will maintain the supply until November or longer. 
Tomatoes .—This season has not been one of the best for outdoor 
Tomatoes. Some of our plants in the most sunny positions have formed 
large quantities of fruit and ripened a few, but we have not gathered 
