28 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ January 14, 1892. 
Nicholson, Gr., Royal Gardens, Kew. 
Noble, C., Sunningdale Nursery, Bagshot. 
Owen, R., Castle Hill, Maidenhead. 
Pearson, C. E., Chilwell, Nottingham. 
Peerless, G. R., Park Hill House, Clapham. 
Phippen, G., Victoria Nursery, Reading. 
Ross, F., Pendell Court Gardens, Bletchingley. 
Salter, C. J., Woodhatch Gardens, Reigate. 
Turner, H., Royal Nurseries, Slough. 
Walker, J., Ham Common, Surrey. 
Watson, W., Royal Gardens, Kew. 
Williams, W. H, (Keynes & Co.), Salisbury. 
Wynne, B., 1, Clement’s Inn, Strand, W.C. 
Orchid Committee. 
^ Chairman. —Veitch, H. J., F.L.S., Royal Exotic Nursery, Chelsea, 
Vice-Chairmen —Lawrence, Sir Trevor, Bart., M.P., 57, Princes 
Gate, S.W. ; Douglas, J., Great Gearies,-Ilford ; Masters, Maxwell T., 
M.D., F.R.S., Mount Avenue, Ealing, W. 
Secretary. —O’Brien, James, West Street, Harrow-on-the-Hill. 
Ballantine, H., The Dell Gardens, Staines. 
Bond, T. W,, Elstead House Gardens, Godaiming. 
Burbidge, F. W., Trinity College Botanic Garden, Dublin. 
Castle, Lewis, Hotham House, Merton. 
Crawshay, De Barri, Rosefield, Sevenoaks. 
Gookson, Norman C., Oakwood, Wylam-on-Tyne. 
Courtauld, Sydney, Booking Place, Braintree. 
Handley, Rev. E., 19, Royal Crescent, Bath. 
Haywood, T. B., Woodhatch Lodge, Reigate. 
Hdl, E., Tring Park Gardens, Tring. 
Kinleside, Rev. R. V. C., Sunbury House, Tunbridge Wells. 
Jacques, J., Waddesdon Manor Garden, Aylesbury. 
Jennings, J , Ascott Garden, Leighton Buzzard. 
Latham, W. B., Botanic Gardens, Edgbaston, Birmingham. 
Le Doux, G. R., Langton House, East Molesley. 
Lindsay, R., Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh. 
Low, H., The Nurseries, Clapton, E. 
Lucas, C. J., Warnham Court, Horsham. 
Mason, Major, The Firs, Warwick. 
Moon, E., Cassiobridge, Watford. 
Moore, F., Blendon Hall Gardens, Bexley. 
Pilcher, Charles, 84, Ringford Road, Wandsworth, S.W, 
Pollett, H. M., Fernside, Bickley, Kent, 
Sander, F., St. Albans. 
Schroder, Baron, The Del', Staines. 
Smee, H. J., Wallington, Surrey. 
Swan, W., Castle Hill Gardens, Englefield Green. 
Tautz, F. G., Dibdin House, Hanger Hill, Ealing. 
White, W., Burford Lodge Gardens, Dorking. 
White, R. B., Ardarroch. Garelochead, N.B. 
Williams, H., Victoria Nurseries, Holloway, N. 
Narcissus Committee. 
Chairman. —Professor M. Foster, Secretary R.S., Shelford, Cambridge. 
Vice-Chairmen. —J. G. Baker, F.R S., Royal Herbarium, Kew ; Rev. 
C. Wolley Dod, Edge Hall, Malpas, Cheshire ; Rev. George H. Engle- 
heirt, Appleshaw, Andover ; Rev. W. Wilks, Shirley Vicarage, Croydon. 
Hon. Secretary. —Scrase-Dickens, C. R., Coolhurst Park, Horsham. 
Barr, P., 12, King Street, Covent Garden, W.C. 
Barr, W,, 12, King Street, Covent Garden, W.C. 
Bennett-Poe, John T., 29, Ashley Place, S.W. 
Bourne, Rev. S. E., Dunston Vicarage, Lincoln. 
Burbidge, F. W., Trinity College Gardens, Dublin. 
Clarke, Col. R. Trevor, Welton Place, Daventry. 
Collins, A., 39, Waterloo Road, S.E. 
Cowan. C. W., Valleyfield, Penicuick, Midlothian. 
Darlington, H. R., 207, Piccadilly, W, 
De Graaff, S. A., Leyden, Holland. 
(Elwes, H. J., F.L.S., Colesborne, Andoversford, Gloucestershire, 
tGoldring, W., 52, Gloucester Road, Kew. 
Grosvenor, Lady Hy., 73, South Audley Street. 
Hartland, W. B., Temple Hill, near Cork. 
Haydon, Rev. G. P., Hatfield Vicarage, Doncaster. 
•Tekyll, Miss G., Munstead, Godaiming. 
-lenkins, E. H., Queen’s Road, Hampton Hill, S.W. 
Krelage, J. H., Haarlem, Holland. 
Leichtlin, Max, Baden-Baden. 
Llewelyn, Sir J. T. D., Bart., F.L S., Penllergare, Swansea. 
MacMichael, Rev. C., Walpole Rectory, Wisbech. 
Marsh, Rev. T. H., Causton Rectory, Norfolk. 
Miine-Readhead, R., Holden Clough, Bolton-by-Bowland, Clitheroe. 
Moore, F. W., Royal Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin, Dublin. 
Nelson, Capt. Charles G., R.N., Holme Lodge, Gcdalming. 
Perry, Amos J., Sfamford Road, Page Green, Tottenham. 
Vilmorin, Henry L. De, Quai de la Megisserie, Paris. 
Walker, James, Ham Common, Surrey. 
Ware, Walter T., Inglescombe Nurseries, near Bath. 
Webster, A. D., F.B.S.E., flollydale, Keston, Kent. 
White, Miss, Alexandra College, Dublin. 
OUTLINE OF THE HISTORY OF COMMERCIAL 
FERTILISERS. 
(^Continued from page 9.) 
Acid-forming Elements and Metals. 
10, Of the fourteen elements which are found in plants, some are 
spoken of as non-metallic elements or acid-forming elements, because, in 
certain combinations these elements form well-known acids. The other 
elements are known as metallic elements or metals. 
Acid-forming Elements. 
Carbon. 
Hydrogen. 
Oxygen. 
Nitrogen, 
Phosphorus. 
Sulphur. 
Chlorine. 
Silicon. 
Metals. 
Calcium. 
Potassium. 
Sodium. 
Iron, 
Magnesium. 
Manganese. 
Acids and Salts. 
11, An acid is a compound containing an acid-forming element com¬ 
bined with hydrogen and oxygen, or, in some cases, with hydrogen alone. 
The following examples will serve to illustrate :— 
Nitrogen, hydrogen, and oxygen form nitric acid; phosphorus, 
hydrogen and oxygen form phosphoric acid ; sulphur, hydrogen and 
oxygen form sulphuric acid ; chlorine and hydrogen form hydrochloric 
acid. The common name of sulphuric acid is oil of vitriol, the common 
name of hydrochloric acid is muriatic acid. 
12, A salt is a compound formed by putting a metal in the place of 
the hydrogen of an acid ; that is, an acid differs from a salt simply in having 
a metal where the acid has hydrogen. Every acid has a salt correspond¬ 
ing to it. For example, as stated above, nitric acid consists of nitrogen, 
hydrogen and oxygen. Now, if we put the metal potassium in the place 
of hydrogen, we have a compound containing nitrogen, potassium (in 
place of hydrogen) and oxygen. This compound is the potassium salt 
of nitric acid, and is called potassium nitrate, or, sometimes, nitrate of 
potash. Again, phosphoric acid consists of phosphorus, hydrogen, and 
oxygen ; in place of hydrogen put one of the metals, as calcium, and we 
have a compound containing phosphorus, calcium (in place of hydrogen) 
and oxygen, which is the calcium salt of phosphoric acid, and is called 
calcium phosphate, or, sometimes, phosphate of lime. Similarly, if a 
metal, as magnesium, is put in the place of the hydrogen of sulphuric 
acid, we have the magnesium salt of sulphuric acid, or magnesium sul¬ 
phate familiar to us as Epsom salt. If in hydrochloric (muriatic) acid 
we put some metal (as sodium) in place of the hydrogen, we have a 
compound consisting of sodium and chlorine, which is the sodium salt of 
hydrochloric acid, and is called sodium chloride, sometimes muriate of 
soda, familiar to us as common salt. 
The word “ salt ” as used in chemistry, applies to a great number of 
compounds, and many of the substances we have to deal with in speak¬ 
ing of fertilisers are chemical salts, that is, substances formed by putting 
some metal in p’ace of the hydrogen of some acid. 
Carbon. 
13, Importance of Carbon. —The element, carbon, may be called 
the central element of all animal and vegetable substances ; for there is 
not a living thing, from the smallest cell to the giant tree, which does 
not contain carbon as a necessary constituent. That all vegetable and 
animal substances contain carbon can easily be shown by simply heat¬ 
ing them sufficiently, and thus causing them to blacken or char. When, 
for example, wood is heated, the different elements of which it is com¬ 
posed are driven off in one form or another, but the carbon is the last 
to go, and remains behind as a black substance or charcoal, unless 
heated higher, when it disappears or burns up. 
14, Occurrence of Carbon in Nature. —Carbon usually occurs 
in nature united into compounds with other elements. Thus, most 
products of plant life contain carbon combined with the elements 
hydrogen and oxygen ; such as starch, sugar, and cellulose or woody 
fibre. Carbon, combined with ogygen, occurs in the air in the form of 
carbon dioxide, commonly called carbonic acid gas. Carbon, when 
combined with oxygen and some element such as calcium, occurs in the 
form of carbonates; for example, marble, limestone and chalk are 
chemically known as calcium carbonate or carbonate of lime. 
Carbon by itself or in the free condition, that is, not united with any 
other elements, is familiar to us in several different forms; the most 
common of these forms are (1) diamonds ; (2) graphite, which is used 
in the manufacture of lead pencils ; (3) ordinary wood charcoal; (4) 
lampblack; (5) animal charcoal; (6) mineral coal. Excepting 
diamonds these forms of carbon are more or less impure, containing 
some other things mixed with the carbon. 
15, It is pertinent to make here the inquiry “What is the relation 
of earbon to fertilisers ? ’’ Before we can answer this question satisfac¬ 
torily we must know what is meant by a fertiliser and what must be 
regarded as necessary constituents of a fertiliser. We will, therefore, 
turn aside from our consideration of the element carbon and take the oppor¬ 
tunity, at this stage, to give some definitions of general and special terms 
which we shall have occasion to use more or less frequently. 
16, Fertiliser, —As ordinarily spoken of, a fertiliser may be defined 
as any substance which, by its addition to the soil, is intended to produce 
a better growth of plants. 
