October 6, 1892. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
813 
Tricalcium phosphate 
Calcium fluoride 
Calcium chloride 
Sand. 
91-20 
7-60 
0-78 
0-90 
100-18 
Coprolites, the fossil manure of saurians, are found in the lias in 
.Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire, &c., in England, and near Helmstadt 
in Germany. A sample of Cambridge coprolites contained : 
Moisture. 0.12 
Organic matter and combined water... ... ... 5-61 
Silica ... ... . ... ... 018 
Carbon dioxide. 6-50 
Phosphoric acid. . ... 30-21 
Lime ... . ... ... ... 49-01 
Fluorine. ... ... . 3-08 
Alkaline salts ... . ... 5-29 
1G0-00 
fertilisers, are numerous. We learn that it is met with native in the mineral 
known as mascagnin od Vesuvius and Etna, in larger quantities in the 
boracic acid of Tuscany, and also in Boussingaultite, a mineral. The 
methods of preparation from the ammoniacal water of gas-works, lant 
(stale urine), the products of the dry distillation of bone, by the aid of 
sulphuric acid, or by double decomposition by means of gypsum or iron 
sulphate are described. It is pointed out that “ ammonium sulphate is, 
industrially speaking, far the most important of the ammonia Balts, 
because, besides being very largely used in artificial manure mixtures, 
and by itself for the same purpose, it is extensively employed in alum 
making, and is the starting point of the preparation of ammonium 
chloride, ammonium carbonate, liquid ammonia, and other similar 
products.” 
Phosphates, so valuable as sources of plant food, provide an 
interesting chapter. In superphosphate the phosphoric acid present in 
natural phosphates is rendered soluble by mixture with sulphuric acid. 
11 The most important materials for the manufacture of superphosphate 
are the phosphorites. That occurring in large masses in Estremadura is 
nearly pure phosphate, but large quantities are met with in commerce 
which contain only 60 per cent., along with considerable quantities of 
silica and calcium chloride. Of less value are the staffelites from the 
value of the Lahn. The Canadian phosphorite contains : 
seen in gardens is no doubt to be accounted for by the difficulty 
experienced in its cultivation in 3ome parts of the country. Described 
in 1836 by De Candolle in his “ Prodromus” under the name of Hetero- 
chseta diplostephioides and figured in the “ Bot. Mag.,” t. 6718, it would 
have been frequently met with could it be regarded as a true perennial 
in most gardens. This is not so, however, as in many places it proves 
to be only a biennial. It seems to be perennial at Bexley Heath, and at 
the Royal Gardens, Kew, and in at least one garden in the vicinity of 
Manchester. In several instances which have come within my notice it 
has not, however, proved so satisfactory, and has consequently been 
discarded. This appears to be a common occurrence with many plants 
The materials are finely ground and mixed with the requisite 
quantity of sulphuric acid in pits provided with agitators. The mixture 
is rendered dry by the combination of the calcium sulphate with water, 
and is then broken up.” The method of determining the soluble phos¬ 
phoric acid as accepted at a meeting of agricultural chemists is given, 
with a considerable amount of other information ; also an illustration 
of the method by which fat is extracted from the bones by means of 
benzene. Guano, kainite, gypsum, nitrate of potash, and nitrate of 
soda are referred to at length ; nor will the information that is supplied 
on the preparation of potash from vegetable matter, supplemented as it is 
by tables showing the respective potash value of different woods, fail to 
receive earnest study. 
Amongst the uses of sulphate of copper, to which the horticulturist 
turns with interest, the editor has omitted to allude to the large scale 
on which it is now utilised for the destruction of injurious fungi. 
Experiment proves that in combination with lime this valuable 
salt is a powerful antidote to the dreaded Potato disease, and there 
is every likelihood of the demand for it for this purpose developing 
largely. 
Vines and wine making form a very interesting chapter, and not less 
so is that on starch and dextrine, introducing as it does our valuable 
friend the Potato. It may interest some readers to see the constitution 
of Potatoes as given :— 
Newly dug Potatoes 
Potatoes. dried at 100°. 
Water 
... 751 
... — 
Albumen ... 
... 2-3 
... 96 
Fatty matter 
... 0-2 
... 0 8 
Cellulose ... 
... 0*4 
... 1-7 
Salts 
... 10 
... 41 
Starch 
• • • 
... 210 
... 83 8 
Illustrations show the starch granules and the cells of the tuber’ 
while the method of drying the starch is treated at length; but into 
this and countless other features space will not permit us to enter. 
The interest of the book to horticulturists is far from exhausted by 
these few brief references, and it may safely be said of this magnificent 
work that money devoted to its purchase is “ an investment and not an 
expenditure.” 
ASTER DIPLOSTEPHIOIDES. 
This fine and somewhat rare Aster, of which we give an engraving 
(fig. 43), was exhibited before the Floral Committee of the Royal 
Horticultural Society on July 26th by Wm. Marshall, Esq., of Bexley 
Heath, and a first-class certificate awarded for it. That it is so seldom 
FIG. 43.— ASTEK DIPLOSTEPHIOIDES. 
from the, Himalayas, of which A. diplostephioides is a native. Many of 
them are very fastidious in their ways, and while flourishing in some 
gardens are failures in others. 
A. diplostephioides is seldom catalogued, and seeing it offered by a 
Cheshire firm a few years ago I sent for a plant, but was informed that 
the stock had been raised from seed, and that the plant had not proved 
hardy with them and could not be supplied. Seed was offered six or 
seven years ago by a well-known Ipswich seedsman, but this species has 
not proved satisfactory with him either. Aster diplostephioides grows 
from 16 to 24 inches in height and produces beautiful flowers of large 
size, in some cases nearly 4 inches in diameter. The ray florets are 
bright blue purple with a bronzy coloured zone and a blackish purple 
disc. It is to be hoped that its successful culture in some gardens may 
lead to it being more frequently seen.—S. Abnott, 
