May'27, 1905. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
429 
he 0ardeuiiig\\/brlcl. 
NOTICE TO READERS AND 
CORRESPONDENTS. 
The Gardening World is published every 
Thursday morning, and dated for the following 
Saturday. Price, 2d. ; Annual Subscription, 
post free, 10s. for the United Kingdom, for 
abroad 12s. 6d., prepaid. 
Subscriptions and Advertisement Orders 
should be addressed to Maclaren & Sons, at 
the offices, 37 & 38, Shoe Lane, London, E.C. 
Cheques, Post Office Orders, etc., to be made 
payable only to the proprietors, Maclaren & 
Sons, and crossed London City and Midland 
Bank. 
Letters for Publication, specimens for 
naming, books for review, and all communica¬ 
tions on matters of an editorial character must 
be addressed to “ The Editor,” and written on 
one side of the paper only. All communica¬ 
tions must be accompanied by the name and 
address of the writer, not necessarily for pub¬ 
lication, but as a guarantee of good faith: 
initials or a nom de 'plume will be used, if 
desired. 
Photographs and Other Illustrations.— 
The Editor will be pleased to receive photo¬ 
graphs and drawings for reproduction of fine 
specimens of flowers, plants, trees, fruit, etc., 
or of interesting gardens. Only such as are 
likely to prove instructive and interesting to 
the class of readers reached by The Gardening 
World will be considered. If payment is 
desired, the price for reproduction must be 
distinctly stated, and it must be understood that 
only the actual photographer or owner of the 
copyright will be dealt with. 
Return of Manuscripts and Illustra¬ 
tions. —The Editor will not be responsible for 
the loss of unaccepted MSS., photographs, etc., 
but if stamps be enclosed for return postage 
and particulars for identification appear on the 
contributions, ordinary care will be exercised to 
ensure return. 
Notice to Subscribers. —No change of 
address can be made the same week in which 
notification of it is sent. To prevent copies 
going astray subscribers should, when possible, 
notify us a week or so in advance of their 
intended alteration of address. 
The Gardening World Telegraphic and 
Cable Address is “ Buns, London,” and the 
Telephone Number is 997, Holborn. 
COMMUNICATIONS SHOULD BE AD¬ 
DRESSED TO “THE EDITOR” OR “THE 
PUBLISHERS.” AND NOT TO IN¬ 
DIVIDUAL MEMBERS OF THE STAFF. 
EDITORIAL NOTES. 
Nitrogen in I armyard Manure. 
About fifteen years ago Dr. Bernard Dyer, 
E.C.S., F.L.S., delivered a lecture before an 
audience of Lincolnshire farmers. Since 
then the substance of that lecture has been 
printed in book form, which has now reached 
its fifth edition, and is obtainable from 
Messrs. G. Street and Company, Limited, 30, 
Corn hill, London, E.C. In this little book 
we note that he says a ton of farmyard man¬ 
ure rarely contains more than 10 lb. to. 12 lb. 
of nitrogen, and this is mainly stored up 
in a combined or organic form, which is not 
immediately available for the use of plants. 
Notwithstanding these facts, he tells us 
plainly that the value of farmyard manure 
as plant food depends chiefly upon the nitro¬ 
gen that it contains. There are, however, 
other uses for farmyard manure which we 
need not at present discuss, but at the same 
time there are other elements of plant food 
which are slowly liberated during the process 
of decay which liberates the available 
nitrogen. Tbe organic nitrogen thus stored 
up in decaying vegetable matter has to 
undergo a process of nitrification by which 
the unavailable nitrogen is converted into 
nitrates, a form that, is at once available as 
plant, food. This process is a chemical one, 
and it is brought, about by a minute organ¬ 
ism in the soil, and a member of the vege¬ 
table kingdom to' boot. In this way, one sec¬ 
tion of the vegetable kingdom destroys other 
vegetable matter for its own immediate use, 
but in doing so it also renders living vege¬ 
tation indebted for its services. This 
nitrogen, slowly being converted into 
a soluble and usable state, is not 
sufficient to produce a veiy heavy crop of any 
particular kind. Dr. Dyer, however, shows 
that nitrate of soda is a form of plant food 
which is immediately available, and there¬ 
fore can be used up chiefly by a growing 
crop in one season, whereas the nitrogen 
still in the decaying vegetable matter or 
farmyard manure gradually gets liberated 
for the use of successive crops in years to 
come. It. will thus be seen that, the culti¬ 
vator need not. wait, until all this nitrogen in 
farmyard manure is converted into a fit 
state for immediate use. but can apply a 
dressing of nitrate of soda, and thus get a 
full crop, so far as that element of plant 
food is. necessary, and at the same time 
patiently wait, for liberation of the residue 
in farmyard manure. Nitrate of soda is a 
salt obtained in a state of nature, but mixed 
with other ingredients. At the same time 
a good sample will contain about 16 percent, 
of nitrogen. The Doctor also states that 
1 cwt. of nitrate of soda contains as much 
nitrogen as 1 b tons of good farmyard 
manure. 
—o— 
National Carnation and Picotee Society. 
The schedule of prizes for 1905 is now on 
our table, and shows that prizes are offered in 
twenty-one classes. These include provision 
for self Carnations, Bizarres and Flakes, as 
well as white ground Picotees and fancy or 
yellow ground Carnations and Picotees. 
Single-bloom classes are fairlv numerous, and 
five prizes are offered in each class, so that 
a large number of competitors .have an 
opport unity of being rewarded for their best 
blooms. Additional prizes are offered for 
the best Carnation and the best Picotee in 
the whole exhibition. The same schedule 
gives a record of last year's classes, the 
names of the winners and the varieties with 
which they were successful. In,the case of 
Carnations it is difficult to fix the time of 
the show for any lengthened period before¬ 
hand, but a provision is made that a com¬ 
mittee meeting will be called early in June 
for the final fixing of the date of the show. 
The hon. secretary and treasurer is Mr. 
William Prescott, Murray Street, Great An¬ 
ri oats, Manchester. 
—o— 
Crops in the Valley of Evesham. 
Even in the fruit-growing district of the 
Valley of Evesham frosts have been preva¬ 
lent a week or two ago just as in other parts 
of the country. Asparagus, as well as 
Potatos, was considerably injured, and it is 
considered that the Plums have been thinned 
to some extent. It is estimated, however, 
that there will still be an abundant crop, 
though less than last year. The hardy Per- 
shore Plum gives promise of ripening a fair 
crop. Gooseberries and Currants are also 
proving satisfactory. The first-named has 
been in the market now for some little time 
in the green state, and for a time made 5d. 
and Id. a pound, though they have dropped 
since then. Quite independently of the 
weather Black Currants have suffered owing 
to the ravages of the bud-mite. For a fort¬ 
night or three weeks fine quality Asparagus 
has been hurried into market, though the 
bundles only fetched Is. 6d. each. Some 
specially selected bundles fetched 10s. 
Itaffiatape. 
The above name is given to a material 
which resembles dyed raffia, but is evidently 
of some other material. It is wound on re¬ 
volving reels containing 230 yards of tbe 
material, which is just, under { in. wide, and 
transversely plaited or corrugated, so. that it 
never twists nor is likely to become undone 
when once it has been tied. For the same 
reason it does not get entangled, and being 
in one continuous piece there is no waste in 
cutting off the ends. Its full title is V est s 
Patent Corrugated Raffiatape, as it is one 
of the materials sent out by Mr. V est a no 
now finding a. considerable number of users 
on account of its suitability for tving parcels, 
plants and flowers. By means of a bent wire 
and hook, the reel is suspended from a 
buttonhole of the coat of the operator, thus 
leaving his hands free for tying and cutting. 
It is considered better than raffia for plants, 
and is only half the price, while it is stronger 
and said to be almost imperishable in wear. 
