January 14, 1892. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
29 
The materials which come under the head of fertilisers are numerous 
in kind, and different both in form and in the manner in which they 
act. 
17, The following tubulated classification, while not strictly accurate 
in every respect, will serve to give a good general idea of the number 
and relations of the terms used in speaking of fertilisers :— 
'Stable manure. 
Refuse vegetable matter. 
Green crops for ploughing 
^ under. 
Cotton seed. 
^Muck, marls, &c. 
[' a, complete or 
J general. 
f Commercial. j h, incomplete 
< Chemical. ( or special. 
I Prepared, 
These terms are, in general, loosely and indiscriminately used, as 
their meaning is often misunderstood ; and so an attempt will be made 
here to define them in accordance with the best usage of the terms. 
18, A direct fertiliser is one that contains elements of plant food 
which are available at once, that is, which can be taken up and used 
immediately by plants. 
19, The term available is applied to plant food which is soluble, 
that is, in such a condition that the roots of the plant can take it up 
readily in solution, 
20, Plant food is unavailable when it is in an insoluble form, so that 
the roots of the plant fail to take up any part of it, A large proportion 
of plant food present in the soil is unavailable, but, by the action of air, 
water, carbonic acid, &c., it is gradually changed to soluble or available 
forms, which the plant can take up and use. As will be noticed later, 
phosphoric acid in the form of insoluble calcium phosphate, or phosphate 
of lime, is unavailable as plant food, but when converted into a super¬ 
phosphate, or soluble calcium phosphate, it becomes available. Un¬ 
available plant food is potential food or food in reserve. 
21, An indirect fertiliser is one which does not furnish to the soil 
any needed plant food and which may not be a plant food at all, but 
which is characterised by the way in which it acts on the matter already 
in the soil, changing more or less of it from unavailable plant food to 
an available form. For example, lime, gypsum, salt, &c., are indirect 
fertilisers, so far as they have any fertilising action. Later, some 
attention will be given to the action of some of the most familiar 
indirect fertilisers. 
22, Natural fertilisers include the solid and liquid excrement of 
animals, all kinds of vegetable refuse, green crops for ploughing under, 
cotton seed, mucks, marls, &c. 
23, Artificial fertilisers are also known by such names as commercial 
fertilisers, chemical fertilisers, prepared fertilisers, &c., and are artificial 
preparations or mixtures of fertilising materials sold under trade names. 
The fertilising materials used in making these mixtures include the 
substances found in natural deposits and by-products of numerous in¬ 
dustries, which are obtainable by farmers only through the channels of 
trade. Some substances which might be classed as natural fertilisers, 
such as cotton seed meal and tobacco stems, are also included among 
the materials of artificial fertilisers. 
24, Complete fertilisers, known also as general fertilisers, are those 
which contain nitrogen, phosphoric acid, and potash. 
25, Incomplete fertilisers, also called special fertilisers, are those 
which contain only one or two of the three constituents, nitrogen, 
phosphoric acid, and potash. 
26, There is a common practice among farmers and dealers of calling 
all commercial fertilisers “ phosphates,” regardless of whether they 
contain any phosphate at all or not. The practice is clearly objection¬ 
able, because a phosphate is not the only fertilising constituent present 
in commercial fertilisers—in some cases it may be entirely absent. The 
term “ superphosphates ” applies truthfully to many commercial 
fertilisers, but even these cannot be correctly spoken of as simply 
“ phosphates.” 
Having considered such definitions as we may have occasion to use 
more or less frequently, we can now return to 
The Relations op Carbon to Fertilisers. 
27, We know that carbon must be an important element in plant 
food, since it forms nearly one-half of the solid proportions of plants. 
Notwithstanding the fact that carbon forms so large a portion of plants, 
it has no importance as an active food constituent of direct fertilisers. 
This statement may appear strange and the question may be asked. 
Why is not carbon to be regarded as an essential constituent of direct 
fertilisers?” The answer is that the carbon of plants comes from the 
carbon dioxide (carbonic acid gas) of the air, and the air furnishes an 
inexhaustible and available supply of this substance ; we do not, there¬ 
fore, need to add carbon to the soil. However, as we shall notice later, 
some forms of carbon possess value as indirect fertilisers. 
Hydrogen. 
28, Occurrence in Nature.—T he element, hydrogen, is nearly 
always found uncombined with other element. It combines with 
on 
P3 
CO 
t-H 
I—( 
H 
W 
1, Natural 
I. Direct < 
2, Artificial 
{ Lime. 
Gypsum. 
Salt, &c. 
oxygen to form water. Hydrogen also occurs in most animal and 
vegetable substances, such as various kinds of wood, fruits, &c., when 
it is combined with the elements, carbon and oxygen. Hydrogen is 
always present in all kinds of acids. 
29, Description op Hydrogen. —Hydrogen, in the uncombined 
form, is a gas that resembles air in that it has neither colour, smell, 
nor taste. — (^Bulletin of the Neio York AgricvUural Experimental 
Station.') 
(To be continued.) 
FRUIT FORCING. 
Vines. — Earliest Houses. —The air being now sharp and cold great 
care is required in ventilating, for draughts of cold air injure the foliage, 
crippling the growths and causing them to become stunted ; but some air 
is necessary to prevent the leaves becoming thin and poor in texture, as 
they do in a confined atmosphere, and in that condition are liable to be 
scorched and to fall a prey to red spider. Disbud when the best shows 
for fruit can be distinguished, tie down the shoots before they touch 
the glass, taking care not to bring them down too sharply or to tie too 
tightly. Stop two or more joints beyond the bunch, not, however, 
acting on any rule of thumb principle, but be guided by the space at 
command, extending the stopping where there is room, and restricting 
it to one joint where limited, securing as far as possible an ample and 
full supply of foliage fully exposed to light. Do not burden the Vines 
with superfluous bunches, one on a lateral is sufficient, for overcropping 
and overcrowding the foliage are great evils. As the bunches come into 
flower maintain a day and night temperature of 79° to 75°, falling 5°, 
however, during the night, and keep the atmosphere rather drier. Where 
fermenting materials are used on inside borders the heat must not be 
allowed to decline, but let the heap be turned and replenished as 
necessary. Outside borders must have attention, which will be slight 
provided they have been well covered with leaves and dry fern or litter, 
but where fermenting materials are used they must be replenished, 
keeping up a good heap of Oak leaves and stable litter in the reserve 
ground to admit of a supply being obtained readily. 
Houses to Bipcn Grapes in June. —Start the Vines at once. Supply 
the inside border thoroughly with water not warmer than 90°, To 
economise fuel employ fermenting materials within the house, throwing 
them into a ridge on the floor, and turn them frequently to liberate the 
ammonia and maintain a genial warmth and moisture constantly, 
adding fresh material as necessary. Where fermenting materials are 
not available the surfaces, other than the Vines, may be sprinkled with 
liquid manure daily. The temperature should be 50° to 5.5° by artificial 
means, and 55° from sun heat. If the roots are outside they will need 
protecting with a good thickness of dry leaves, litter, or fern, with tar¬ 
paulin, wood shutters, or lights to throw off rains and snow. This will 
secure to them a much higher temperature than if they had no such 
protection, and this is often better than fermenting materials that are 
not well attended to in maintaining the heat. Where the border has 
been exposed to cold rains and snow the temperature of the soil will be 
little if any warmer than the surrounding ground, and a good bed of 
ferinenting materials can be used with advantage, placing it on the 
border about 18 inches thick, and covering with shutters. This will, 
to some extent, warm the soil and encourage the growth of the roots, 
but it must be removed by the time the sun gains power to warm the 
soil, leaving enough only for a mulch. 
Houses from which the Grapes have been Cut. —Prune the Vines 
without delay. It not only avoids danger of bleeding, but insures com¬ 
plete rest. Cut to a plump bud as near the base as possible. Some 
Vines, however, do not prove very satisfactory when closely pruned. 
The operator must act accordingly, and choose the second to fourth bud, 
or the best bud on firm, well-ripened wood wherever situated. This 
will cause the spurs to become long; but that can be obviated by train¬ 
ing a shoot from the base to displace it after bearing, and the Vine will 
be all the better for the extra foliage, showing it in the finish of the 
crop. Remove all loose bark, avoid peeling and scraping, washing the 
rods with softsoap and water, and after thoroughly cleansing the house 
dress the Vines with an insecticide. Clear away all loose soil, supply 
fresh lumpy loam in its place, and sprinkle about ^ lb. of steamed 
bonemeal per square yard where the Vines are in need of substantial 
support. Dressings of quicker-acting substances can be given after 
starting the Vines. Keep the house as cool as possible to secure com¬ 
plete rest. 
Late Grapes. —Maintain a mean temperature of 50° for Muscats, 
5° less for other varieties that have finished late, with a dry atmosphere 
where such are hanging. Examine every bunch at least twice a week, 
and remove any decayed berries. Ventilate the house on fine dry 
mornings, and keep it closed when the weather is damp ; but a gentle 
warmth in the pipes is necessary to prevent the deposition of moisture 
on the berries. It is hardly possible to keep Grapes in good condition 
beneath leaky roofs, and it is a capital plan to cut the Grapes, the ends 
