1 |February 17, 1900. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
895 
the Rontgen rays for the purpose of determining the 
matter, assuming that these rays could penetrate 
into living vegetable tissue and display Nature's 
secrets to us absolutely. I do not think in all gar¬ 
dening there is a more interesting subject for 
description or for elucidation than is this of sap flow. 
It is to be feared that very much of what has been 
written about it is much the product of theory, or of 
assumption. We especially want to know what be¬ 
comes of sap in the winter. Does it, under the 
influence of cold, solidify and remain practically in¬ 
active, then expanding and liquefying in the spring ? 
or is it constantly active during what is called the 
. season of rest ?— A. D. 
- - —* m- -- 
CHEMISTRY FOR THE GARDEN. 
IV.— Ammonia. 
(Continued from p. 378). 
Ammonia. —This fertiliser is so important, as most 
people are aware, in conveying the necessary supply 
of nitrogen to plants that both gardener and farmer 
can ill afford to lose any opportunities which come 
in their way to do their best in collecting it wherever 
it is likely to be obtained. There can be no doubt 
but in the past much has been left undone in this 
respect that demanded our serious attention, and, of 
course, all to our loss. The means whereby we are 
enabled to increase our stock of ammonia are, if not 
legion, resourceful enough to at least supply us with 
a quantity that would greatly reduce our annual ex¬ 
penditure on artificial stuffs, which are perhaps after 
all not nearly so worthy of our patronage as the 
supply Nature places at our disposal. Almost 
everything organic, under favourable circumstances, 
produces ammonia. The atmosphere contains 
ammonia, and, moreover, the proper preparation of 
a soil tends to absorb this constant supply from the 
air. Charcoal, humus, &c., are capital absorbents 
of the atmospheric ammonia, and, as has been 
pointed out already, these mediums in a soil caDnot 
be too highly recommended as ammonia collectors. 
Soils of almost any consistency whatever tend to 
absorb ammonia, but, of course, the less sandy 
material in its bulk the greater the absorptive power. 
A case in point, demonstrative of this peculiar power 
of soils, is the practice so common among farmers of 
spreading their manure over their fields and allowing 
it to remain in that condition for days and weeks ex¬ 
posed to a scorchirg sun or a series of heavy tains, 
as the fates may destine. Here one unacquainted 
with the earth power to absorb ammonia would con¬ 
demn the practice as one egregiously fatal to the 
ammonia the manure should contain. Though 
theoretical men have condemned the practice more 
than once, men of great experience have proved this 
mode of supplying the land with manure the better 
of the two; that is, immediate ploughing down, and 
the leaving it exposed for a time. 
In farmyard manure, for instance, there are doubt¬ 
less some qualities which it can well spare their dis¬ 
posal, and which could not in any way diminish its 
value of the fertilising powers. The sulphuretted 
hydrogen, the odour of which is always in evidence 
in farmyard manure, is got rid of by the plan above 
referred to, so commonly adopted by farmers. The 
result is that the manure, after the exposure, is very 
much sweeter by the searching action of the oxygen 
of the atmosphere than if it had been turned over 
immediately, fresh from the dung heap, by the 
plough. 
It is pretty generally known that the best form in 
which ammonia ought to be applied to the soil is in 
that of the sulphate. It will be obvious that this is 
due mainly to the great tendency of other forms to 
decompose, and to be lost altogether in some soils 
not adapted for the reception of the volatile sub¬ 
stance. The sulphuric acid of the sulphate has also 
some value as a fertiliser. Ammonia, even in the 
strong grasp of sulphuric acid, is at once separated 
from each other in the sulphate form, if a little 
moistened hot lime is brought in contact. The 
change which takes place is this;—The sulphuric 
acid of the ammonia expels, as it were, the carbon 
dioxide of the carbonate of lime, and unites with it 
to form sulphate of lime, while the forsaken ammonia 
unites in a half-hearted way with carbon dioxide, 
resulting in carbonate of ammonia. This is exactly 
how sulphate of ammonia behaves when applied to a 
soil suitable for its conversion into nitric acid. Soils 
such as light, sandy kinds, with little humus, can re 
tain little or no ammonia. If such a soil contained 
much natural lime such a circumstance would make 
the chances of its retention much less, for then the 
carbonate of ammonia being volatile would have 
every liberty to escape. On the other hand, in a 
rich, humic or clay soil the carbonate formed from 
the sulphate is in turn in the presence of organic 
acid and lime converted into nitric acid and nitrates. 
These acids are themselves formed by the continual 
oxidation of organic material in the soil. 
The dark liquid so often seen oozing from dung 
heaps greatly consists of these acids, and hold in 
their grip, when the dung heap has been well 
attended in the process of fermentation, much 
ammonia in a form similar to a sulphate.— Oxygen. 
(To be contimced.J 
STOKING. 
This may seem a dry subject, and, indeed, it usually 
turns out to be so for the one so employed; and the 
following remarks are addressed to the probationers, 
otherwise aspirants for the post of head gardeners in 
a few years to come. Thinking stoking one of the 
most unpleasant duties they have to perform, a few 
words, providing such can alleviate the task, will, I 
hope, be accepted by them in the same spirit it is 
written. 
In the first place before clinkering a fire see that 
the damper is well pulled out so that the obnoxious 
fumes of sulphur (especially if coke is the fuel used) 
may ascend the chimney instead of coming out in 
your face when at work, which proves so injurious 
to one’s lungs. Regulate the damper after the fuel 
has been put on. Another failing I have often found 
with young men is to get them to keep the ash pan 
clear. How can they expect a fire to go well with 
ashes close up to the fire bars ? These should be 
cleaned out daily if only for tidiness; but it serves 
more than this, it saves the fuel bill, as with a quick 
draught the desired heat is much sooner raised, 
while entailing less labour to the stoker. Another 
item to bear in mind is that when saddle boilers, 
6 ft. or so in length, are in use, see that the fuel is 
not thrown too far back.— J. Mayne, Bicton. 
---- 
STATICE PROFUSA. 
Though the Statice is a very old greenhouse inhabi¬ 
tant it is seldom one comes across it, and still more 
seldom to find plants of it in a healthy, flourishing 
condition. As regards my first remark—seldom 
seen—probably this is due to present day gardeners 
not considering it sufficiently useful to grow, the 
plant not being very suitable for the decoration of a 
dwelling house, neither of much value for cut flower 
purposes. Touching my second remark—the rarity 
of healthy plants—I believe the principal causes are, 
first, the plants are kept in too close and great a 
temperature, and secondly, through water being in¬ 
discreetly given. Established plants of the Statice 
will take plenty of water during their growing and 
flowering season, but it should never be given until 
the plant is in need of it. Anyone not having grown 
or looked after this plant would hardly credit how 
very easily it is overdone with water. The most 
suitable position for it is a light place in an ordinary 
greenhouse, where it can be shaded from the sun, 
and plenty of air given through the warm 
months of the year. When Statice profusa is well 
grown it makes a grand specimen plant for show. 
The colours of its flowers—blue and white—being 
rather rare, borne on good long stalks, is thrown 
well above its foliage, thus giving it somewhat of a 
striking and pleasing appearance.— C. Turner. 
■ -— 
TIMELY HINTS. 
Prupagate stove plants. Pot up rooted cuttings of 
all sorts. Divide Scirpus cernuus (Isolepis gracilis), 
and pot up very firmly. Carex brunnea and C. b. 
variegata may also be potted. Orchids, such as 
Odontoglossums, may be top-dressed or potted. 
Bedding Pelargoniums may continue to furnish work 
in potting, boxing, &c. Pot off batches of Tomatos f 
Melons, &c. Sow Petunias and Centaurea candidis- 
sima. Pot up Amaryllis bulbs. Pot Carnations. 
Prune Pear and Apple trees ; top-dress the roots 
with soot, lime, wood ashes, and rotted manure. 
Fumigate peacheries. Water Fig houses. Pinch 
and regulate Vine shoots. Sow French Beans. 
Prune in and regulate all climbing plants in the tem¬ 
perate houses. Houses planted out with plants of 
merely decorative value should have an overhauling 
at this time. It is well to top-dress indoor rockeries 
now. During the hard frost the outdoor men may 
be employed cleaning the lawn mowers, making 
labels, brushes, &c.— Recorder. 
-— 
NOTES FROM MODDER RIVER. 
One of our late readers now at the Modder River 
on active service, in a letter to us gives the following 
particulars which we publish as being of interest to 
others of our supporters. He writes:—“I do not 
care much for the country. The weather is un¬ 
settled. One day we have it as hot as need be, with 
not a breath of wind, next day one can hardly see 
where to go for sand. We have it in our tea, our 
dinner, and in our eyes. Next day it may be raining, 
and to be out in the rain here means to get wet 
through, as the khaki clothing does not keep the 
rain out. One good thing is that we get dry as 
quickly as we get wet.” ..." I have not yet 
seen any grass in the country, nor a drop of clear 
water. All the rivers are like the Tweed in flood. 
Fruits seem to do pretty well here, as Figs, Peaches, 
&c., which are most plentiful. Melons and 
Tomatos grow side by side with Onions and 
Potatos. The fields-and gardens are divided into 
small squares, having irrigation ditches which run 
both longitudinally and transversely in and about 
them. By their means the gardens are flooded, the 
water coming from wells near the gardens. Potatos 
are generally planted along the ridges which form 
the squares. The only game to be seen is a hare 
or two.” Our correspondent dilates upon the 
" shaking-up ” they are going (?) to give the Boers at 
a near date. Let it be so, lads 1 
STOVE FLOWERING PLANTS. 
[Continued from p. 363.) 
Begonia Gloire de Sceaux. —This is a most ser¬ 
viceable plant for the warm house during winter and 
early spring, if only on account of its silvery dark 
foliage. The flesh-coloured flowers, though, add 
immensely to its brightness when in full beauty t 
making a good decorative subject. I have had 
plants in the mansion for quite ten days without 
showing the least signs of distress. The plant 
reaches from 2 ft. to 3 ft. high, and keeps growing 
and flowering for several months, thriving well where 
a temperature of 55 0 to 6o° can be maintained and 
little or no overhead syringing carried on. Like 
Gloire de Lorraine it is impatient of too much water 
at the root. In fact, it certainly is more troublesome 
with me than that variety, and I have lost two or 
three this season by the stem turning quite black, 
when it soon droops its head. 
After it has done flowering, propagation can begin 
by taking off the point; then cut up the entire stem 
as though preparing Vine eyes for starting, reserving 
a leaf with each eye, if possible, and merely covering 
the base with cocoanut fibre. If side shoots are pre¬ 
ferred, these will soon push out when once the 
leading shoot has been taken off. I have always 
found they emit roots more readily by just sticking 
in the ends in fibre in a close case, than by placing 
them in pots of soil and sand in the usual way. They 
can also be increased by the water method as your 
correspondent, Mr. Mayne, pointed out in your issue 
of the 20th ult. 
When potting them up, use 2\ in. or 3 in. pots, 
using a light, sandy soil, and returning them to a 
warm house, where they can be syringed twice a 
day. Keep them near the glass, shading for a few 
hours daily, if necessary, from April onwards. The 
point of the shoot must be taken out as soon as 
established, and again when two leaves have been 
made, potting on when necessary, using loam leaf 
soil with a little peat added, not omitting river or 
coarse, silver sand. 
Good plants can be had in 6 in. pots, which make 
a grand show towards the end of December. Cut¬ 
tings can be put in up to July, but at this date no 
pinching should be adopted. These late-struck 
plants come in very useful for front row work or as 
table plants. This batch should be kept in a 
heated house or pit, while the earlier rooted ones can 
safely be put out in cold frames under similar treat¬ 
ment as that recorded for Plumbagos, Eranthemums, 
&c. Mealy bug are fond of getting on this Begonia,as 
well as scale. Careful sponging with soapy water is the 
surest remedy.— Grower. 
(To be continued.) 
