October 24, 1903. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
899 
gets it, as before stated, from an excessive and continuous use 
of stable manure, and even then he fails to get it ini sufficient 
quantity; therefore in recent years he has added to his stable 
dung some artificial manure to stimulate the crops by assisting 
in the more rapid nitrification, of the dung. 
Methods Adopted in Actual Practice. 
The Potato is largely a kitchen and market garden crop, as 
well as a farm crop; lor the production of garden, vegetables, 
as we have seen, generally veiy large quantities of larm or 
stable manure are applied beyond wdat is required as a mere 
supply of constituents to the crops, the process being to a 
great extent 'one of forcing, and a necessary result is a great 
accumulation of unexhausted residue within the soil. 
It will be of interest, therefore, to give a few illustrations of 
the manuring and produce of Potato® in some localities where 
they constitute an important item of production. 
The practice of several growers in Forfarshire is to grow the 
crop in a six, seven, or eighty-ear rotation ; and farmyard or 
stable manure is largely relied upon; but it is frequently 
supplemented by liberal dressings of artificial m an ures,, both 
mineral and nitrogenous. The quantity of dung used ranges 
from 12 to 14 tons, and even to more than 20 tons per acre; 
and sometimes as much as 10 cwt. of artificial manure is also 
used, consisting chiefly of superphosphate or dissolved bones 
and potash salts', and 6 tons of tubers is reckoned a fair crop. 
In East Lothian the crop is also grown in six, seven, or 
eight-year rotation; as much as 30 tons of dung is used for 
the late crop; with 5 to 10 cwt'. of artificials, consisting of 
guano or dissolved bones, and sometimes potash salts; and 
the crop is estimated at 6 to 8 tons per acre'. For an early 
crop as much as 40 tons of dung and 1.0 cwt. of a. mixture of 
superphosphate; guano, and dissolved bones, are used, and 
only about 4 or 5 tons of produce is obtained. 
At a farm in Ayrshire the practice for the growth of an 
early crop is to use 20 to 30 tons of dung, with 5 cwt. of 
kainit, and 8 to 10 cwt-. of other artificial manures, consisting 
of good guano, or phosphatic guano with sulphate of ammonia, 
or any mixture containing 8 to 10 per cent, of ammonia, 20 
to 30 per cent, of phosphate, and 3 to 5 per cent, of potash. 
Such are typical cases of the manuring and produce of 
Potato® when grown as a farm rotation crop. But it will be 
well to consider the conditions under which the crop is grown 
in a specially suitable climate for the early market. We will 
therefore go to the island of Jersey. No special rotation is 
followed. Potato® are grown two or three years, then com, 
then grass for a few years, and then Potato® again. From 25 
to 30 tons of farmyard manure or seaw T eed are applied per 
acre, with 8 to 12 cwt. of artificial manure containing 
about 8 per cent, of ammonia and 20 per cent, of soluble 
phosphate. Including rent, the total expenditure for the crop' 
is often as much as <£45 per acre; but almost always a second 
crop of some kind is taken the same year, after the removal 
of the Potato®. The earliest crops, which command very high 
prices, average about 6 tons per acre. 
Lastly, the market gardeners in the neighbourhood of Sandy, 
St. Neot®, and Biggleswade frequently apply from 30 to 60 
tons of London stable manure' per acre for Potatos and early 
vegetables, and even as much as 100 tons have in, some cases 
been used. Frequently, too, besides the dung, to 1 ton 
of artificial manure, or from 100 to 200 bushels of soot, are 
also used. 
It will be seen that the foregoing statements of the actual 
practice in the growth of Potatos and crops grown “ out, of 
season” in, different localities are quite consistent in showing 
how large is the amount of manure required in proportion to 
the amount of produce obtained. 
Farmyard Manure. 
Farmers, gardeners, and fruit growers fully recognise the 
value of farmyard manure. In a ton of such manure contain¬ 
ing 75 per cent, of water there is 1,275 lb. of organic matter 
and 225 lb. of ash or mineral substances. Except for its 
mechanical and indirect benefit by raising the temperature of 
the soil, all the manurial value of this 1,275 lb. of organic 
matter is due to the nitrogen which it contains. 
When we consider that the application of a few pounds of 
nitrogen in nitrate of soda to a soil which contains several 
thousand pounds of nitrogen in its organic form is capable of 
increasing a crop of com from 14 to 40 or even 50 bushels 
of grain per acre and a. yield of from 15 to 20 tons of Cabbage 
per acre, it must be apparent to all that we have very con¬ 
vincing evidence of nitric acid being the main source of 
nitrogen in plants. 
In these market gardens, and in old kitchen gardens, the 
soil is frequently so charged with carbonic acid that it ex¬ 
cludes the oxygen, and decomposition proceeds so slowly, and 
often de-nitrification take® place, that to produce the necessary 
quantity of nitrio acid more and more manure must be con¬ 
tinually used. Let those who' have to cultivate such soils try 
nitrate of soda^ It acts like magic, and sometimes pays ten 
times over. 
Lime rubbish is excellent for application to soured soils-, 
because it favours nitrification,, and old lime rubbish may 
even, contain nitrate of lime. 
Nature furnishes nitrates for the use of plants in warm 
weather, but, if we want to- “ force ” plants 1 —in other words, 
make them grow ahead of the natural season—we must furnish 
the nitrates ourselves. Nature always pays for being assisted. 
(To be continued.) 
New Bulb Catalogues. 
Some more bulb- catalogues having come in since we made 
our remarks in a previous number concerning them, we now 
give the best of them a few notes of comment. 
Messrs. It. Wallace and (Jo.—During September Messrs. 
K. Wallace and Co., Kilnfield Gardens,, Colchester, issued their 
very comprehensive catalogue of Lilies, hardy plants and bulbs. 
I fie list of Lilies includes all the best of the older species and 
varieties in cultivation,, together with the new ones which have 
been recently introduced to this, country. Other bulbs receiv¬ 
ing special attention are Calochorti, Brodiaea, Erythronium, 
Iris, Tulip®, and Daffodils, of all of w 7 hich the Colchester firm 
grows very representative collections. All the other popular 
bulbs are grown in greater or less numbers, so that, altogether, 
the catalogue is, a very valuable one as far as bulbs are con¬ 
cerned. Collections of various other popular plants are grown, 
and the catalogue contains five pages of novelties of various 
subjects. 
Messrs. Ant. Roo-zen and Son.—As usual at this period of 
the year, Messrs. Ant. Roozem and Son, Overveen, near Haar¬ 
lem, Holland, issue their catalogue of choice Dutch, Cape and 
exotic bulbs and herbaceous plants. Beside® being a comprtr 
h-ensive list with descriptive notes of all classes of bulbs for 
open-air and hothouse culture, the catalogue gives general 
cultural directions for all classes of bulbs and plants. We 
note that all sections of Tulips are very fully represented, and 
the same may be said of Daffodils. Many of the new and rare 
varieties have been incorporated, so that, the list is well brought 
up to date. Irises, other than the bulbous section, are also 
included in the list. The Cape bulbs are accompanied by in¬ 
formation about those things which require hothouse culture, 
in this country. Other popular flowers include descriptive lists 
of fine varieties of Potentilla, Phlox, Campanula, Oriental 
Poppies, Funkias; Primulas, Michaelmas Daisies, Kniphofias, 
aquatics, terrestrial Orchids, Gannas, Climbers, and hosts of 
ether subject® which are indispensable for a well-ordered 
garden. Altogether this catalogue is a very full and compre¬ 
hensive one. The agents for the firm in Britain are Messrs. 
Merten® and Co., 3, Cross Lane, St. Maiy-at-Hill, London, E.C. 
Mr. Amos Perry.—In addition to the hardy plant catalogue, 
Mr. Amos Perry, the Hardy Plant Farm, Winchmore Hill, 
Middlesex, now issues a catalogue devoted to- bulbs and various 
subject® -suitable for early forcing. Tulips, Narcissi, Lilies, 
Irises, Calochorti, Brodiaea,, Fritillaries, and a miscellaneous 
