233 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
costs about 25 cents a pound. Oil-cake is the 
only other commercial fertilizer readily 
yielding ammonia in it, and the cost is I be¬ 
lieve also about 25 cents per pound. In 
Germany it is very cheap and largely used 
as manure, especially the colza, or rape-cake 
which on account of it's unpleasant taste is 
not suited for feeding. In unburnt or unboiled 
bones we have nitrogen sufficient to yield 
from four to six per cent of ammonia, but it 
decays very slowly unless they are steamed 
or composted, and this fact should reduce its 
value somewhat. The estimate given by 
Stockhardt reduced to the standard adopted 
here for actual or ready formed ammonia is 
13 cents per pound. It is most convenient 
to speak of the nitrogen which exists in un¬ 
decayed animal substances as ammonia be¬ 
cause it passes into that body on decay. It is 
customary to designate it as potential am¬ 
monia (that which may be produced under 
certain circumstances), in distinction from 
ready-formed or actual ammonia. 
The value of potash is difficult to estimate 
because it may vary exceedingly according 
to circumstances. Wood-ashes are its chief 
sources; these are poor or rich in potash 
according to the kind of tree that yields 
them, and the soil on which it has grown. 
It may vary from 5 to 20 per cent. Stock¬ 
hardt who estimates the value of ammonia 
at 19 cents, makes potash worth 4 cents per. 
pound; the price of pot-ashes can not serve 
as a guide for they are never used for agri¬ 
cultural purposes. Four cents is certainly 
high enough for this country if it is correct 
for Germany. 
Phosphoric acid is reckoned by Stockhardt 
at 2 cents per pound, and I have used this 
estimate in allowing for the phosphoric acid 
in guano. Crushed bones sell at $1 per 100 
pounds and less. When they are fresh they 
contain about 5 per cent of potential ammo 
nia, 25 per cent of phosphoric acid, reckon¬ 
ing the former at 13 cents per pound, we 
account for 65 cents, leaving 35 cents as the 
value of 25 pounds of phosphoric acid. This 
gives a value of H cents. When we con¬ 
sider the quantities of refuse phosphoric 
acid in the used up bone-black of the sugar 
refineries, and the cheaper price of boiled 
bones, we shall do injustice to the farmer 
rather than to the manufacturer, when we 
assume li cents, as the value of phosphoric 
acid when saturated with lime or magnesia 
and thus insoluble in water. Soluble phos¬ 
phoric acid is of much greater value, from 
its greater rapidity of action. To convert 
25 pounds of insoluble phosphoric acid, 
(bone earth phosphate,) into soluble phos¬ 
phoric acid,—superphosphate—requires 30 
pounds of oil of vitriol; which at 2 cents 
per pound, would make 25 pounds of soluble 
phosphoric acid, worth 35 to 60 cents, say 
$1, or 4 cents per pound, cost of preparation 
included. 
Prof. May, in a paper on superphostate of 
lime in the Journal of the Royal Agricultural 
Society of England, vol. XII. 1851, rated 
phosphoric acid in the state of insoluble 
phosphate of lime at 3 cents per pound, and 
superphosphate at 8£ cents, or double the 
prices I have been led to adopt. He calcu¬ 
lated the latter however from the selling 
price of a commercial superphosphate, which 
is obviously no criterion for the farmer. 
It is plain that it is no easy matter to esti¬ 
mate the value of a manure, since so many 
things influence our decision ; and I do not 
for a moment suppose that the prices these 
calculations have led me to, are strictly cor¬ 
rect, but they doubtless are not very far 
from the truth and at all events may serve 
us in comparing the different fertilizers whose 
composition will be made known in future 
numbers. 
It is the duty of farmers themselves to in¬ 
stitute such inquiries as may enable them to 
decide how much they can afford to pay per 
pound for these substances. This, it strikes 
me, is legitimate business for a State Agri¬ 
cultural Society. . 
Caum, ©rrljari), (garden, $tt. 
ATTEND TO THE EVERGREEN TREES. 
We observe that an unusually large num¬ 
ber of evergreen trees and shrubs have been 
put out the present season. We are pleased 
to see this, and we know those who have 
planted them will never regret the time and 
expense, especially when the winter season 
comes on, and they see their yards or lawns 
adorned with living foliage, while all else 
around presents a dull, lifeless aspect. 
But these evergreen trees, so recently re¬ 
moved from their native beds, and in part 
robbed of their feeding, drinking organs or 
roots, should not be left to wither and die 
for want of moisture, to supply the waste by 
evaporation during these parching days. 
See to it that an artificial watering is given 
sufficiently often to keep the ground around 
the roots damp —not wet. These remarks 
apply to all trees recently transplanted. 
Mulching all such trees, that is covering 
the ground above the roots with old hay, 
straw, long manure, weeds, or even muck, 
is a matter of the highest importance. A 
little labor expended in this way will be re¬ 
paid a hundred fold. A good coat of any of 
those substances will keep the ground moist 
without watering, while their gradual decay 
will afford nourishment to the roots. Let 
this work be attended to now .— [Ed. 
PARLOR PLANTS, 
SOME OF THE MOST DESIRABLE DESCRIBED. 
But few of those who are fond of flowers 
and who delight in their cultivation, have 
the convenience of a greenhouse or conser¬ 
vatory. 
For the benefit of such we have selected 
and briefly described a few of the most de¬ 
sirable plants which can very readily be 
cultivated in the sitting room or parlor. 
We are aware that many have undertaken 
the cultivation of parlor plants and have not 
succeeded in their attempts, but their fail¬ 
ures have resulted mainly from a wrong se¬ 
lection. A weak, sickly plant is often cho¬ 
sen simply because it is in bloom, but which 
after removal from the greenhouse soon lan¬ 
guishes and perhaps becomes a prey to in¬ 
sects ever ready to seize on an unhealthy 
growth. It is far better to select good strong 
healthy growing specimens, even though 
they have not so much as a flower bud in 
sight, and wait a little longer for a perfect 
bloom and a hardy fine growing plant. 
Recent introductions from California, 
Australia and Japan, have very materially 
widened the range of selection ; but pur¬ 
posing to follosv the subject more at length 
in some future number, we will now confine 
ourselves to a description of a few of those 
which thrive best in doors during the entire 
year, but which require a good supply of 
fresh air during the summer months. Such 
plants are adapted to the city as well as 
the country. We commence with 
Dracena terminalis.—A variety of the 
Dragon plant, is of very easy culture and 
highly ornamental; foliage dull red, striated 
and variegated with crimson, white and 
green ; flowers are not very showy, but the 
plant is of itself a bouquet during the en¬ 
tire year. 
Dracena ferrea, or true Dragon plant, and 
Dracena nobilis, are also fine varieties of 
the same family. 
Cordyline rubra is a graceful plant of 
easy culture, more desirable on account of 
the variety of its foliage than its flowers. 
Abutilon insigne is a fine variety of a beau¬ 
tiful and singular tribe of plants, with grace¬ 
ful foliage, and dwarfish in habit; flowers 
are abundant of a dark red color and much 
striated. 
The variety striatum is a handsome plant 
with balloon shaped flowers, red with yel¬ 
low stripes ; is a free bloomer. 
Ardisia crenulata is a fine shrubby plant 
with pure white flowers producing coral ber¬ 
ries which remain on for two years ; it is a 
desirable acquisition and easily cultivated. 
The variety fructu albo, differs from the 
above only in the color of its berries which 
are pearly white. 
Gardenia fortunii is the finest of the cape 
Jasmine’s with pretty foliage and very fra¬ 
grant flowers nearly as large as a double 
white camelia; it is altogether a superb 
plant. 
Tabernemontana coronaria is of the same 
family as the above, of bushy habit with fine 
lively green foliage and very double white 
flowers. 
Cissus discolor is an elegant climbing 
plant with highly colored and beautiful fo¬ 
liage. It is of very easy culture and maybe 
trained in festoons over a window or on a 
trellis as desired, but will require rest in 
winter, keeping it rather dry at the root; it 
should be in every collection and will richly 
repay the trouble of keeping. 
Croton pietum, painted leaved ; this is a 
plant which should be in every collection 
however small ; it has highly colored and 
distinctly marked leaves which remain on 
during the year ; it is of rather slow growth 
and shrubby in habit, bearing a good heat, 
but must be kept rather dry during the win¬ 
ter. 
Euphorbia splendens is a desirable plant 
bearing bright scarlet flowers in great pro¬ 
fusion ; it can be cultivated as easily as a 
cactus. 
Gymnogramma aurea or Golden fern, is 
