THE GARDENING WORLD. 
April 17, 1909. 
2 5 ° 
Hints on . . 
JVfar^uring. 
Farm-Yard and Chemical Manures. 
To obtain good crops from a garden 
which is under constant cultivation, fre¬ 
quent resource must be had to manures. 
The question of manuring is an impor¬ 
tant and often puzzling one, and it is the 
object of this article to give a few hints 
on the subject. 
The nature of the soil must always be 
a consideration. One frequently sees 
manure applied which lacks the elements 
necessary to convert the soil into plant 
food, or manure given to soil which is 
already rich in the necessary elements. 
Old gardens which have been continually 
dressed with farm-yard manure, contain 
abundance of humus, or vegetable mould, 
and have a tendency to become over-acid. 
Such soil is greatly improved as regards 
fertility by occasional dressings of lime, 
which has the unique quality of convert¬ 
ing organic matter into plant food. Such 
a soil would benefit greatly by a dressing 
of basic slag, about 4 oz. to the square 
yard, dug in during autumn in place of 
horse manure. Basic slag contains phos¬ 
phoric acid (which supplies the element 
phosphorus, and promotes fruitfulness 
and early maturity), and a large per¬ 
centage of lime, and is of great value 
upon all peaty soils. 
Calcareous or marly soils may be 
heavily dressed with stable manure, 
leaves, moss fibre, or any other organic 
substance, as these improve its mechani¬ 
cal condition while supplying the ele¬ 
ments needed. If, however, a soil is defi¬ 
cient in lime or chalk, money spent upon 
organic manures such as these is practic¬ 
ally wasted. It is sometimes more econo¬ 
mical to spend less upon horse manure 
and expend the balance upon chemical 
fertilisers, as the special requirements of 
certain crops can then be supplied. Many 
gardeners are, I know, prejudiced against 
the use of inorganic or chemical fer¬ 
tilisers, but I think that if due regard were 
had to their various constituents and their 
action upon different soils, such views 
would disappear. 
The chemical manures in common use 
are of three classes : phosphatic, potassic, 
and nitrogenous. Phosphatic manures 
supply the important element phosphorus, 
and this, together with the fact that the 
best stable manure is poor in this ele¬ 
ment, should be a good argument for its 
occasional use. Of these basic slag (which 
has had mention) and superphosphate of 
lime are the two most convenient forms. 
Superphosphate is quicker in action than 
Ipasic slag, and is best as a top dressing 
in spring, at the rate of about 1 oz. to 
3 oz. per square yard, but it should not 
oe applied to a soil lacking lime, as peaty 
soil. 
Potash is essential to all starch and 
sugar-forming crops, as the Potato, Beet, 
etc., and all fruits. The two commonly 
used are kainit and sulphate of potash, 
the latter being a purified form of kainit, 
and much richer in potash, therefore it 
must be applied more sparingly. Most 
sandy and peaty soils are poor in potash, 
and will therefore benefit from the use of 
these manures. 
Nitrogenous manures, as nitrate of 
soda and sulphate of ammonia, promote 
luxuriance of leaf, and are good stimu¬ 
lants for Cabbage, Sprouts, Celery, Rhu¬ 
barb, etc. Nitrate should only be ap¬ 
plied during the growing season, as it is 
quickly washed away, but sulphate of am¬ 
monia is stored up in the soil. 
S. Ashmore. 
-- 
A Fine Primrose 
_v_____ 
(Primula obconica gigantea). 
Of recent introduction, this fine addi¬ 
tion to our winter and early spring flowers 
is very welcome. To those who have not 
seen this wonderful improvement on the 
old favourite, P. obconica, I would say 
procure seed at once, as it is one of the 
floral gems. The plant is in every way 
much more desirable than the type. The 
foliage is large and handsome, and curls 
over, almost hiding the pots. It is in the 
flowers, however, that the chief improve¬ 
ment lies, and these are certainly very 
fine. The shades are very varied and 
chaste, being quite up to the standard of 
the finer strains of the old type, while 
they are easily three times the size. The 
trusses, too, are very large and compact, 
being carried on long stiff stems, which 
render them most serviceable for cutting 
for vases. Like the ordinary P. obconica, 
the shades of lilac, pink, and pale purple 
show up well under artificial light, and 
are admirable for dinner-table decora¬ 
tion. 
This strain is quite as easy to cultivate 
as the old kind. Sow seed any time dur¬ 
ing March or April, and fine plants will 
be obtained for next winter's display. The 
finest strain of this large-flowered Primula 
I have seen is that of Messrs. Thompson 
and Morgan, Ipswich. 
Preston House, C. Blair. 
Linlithgow, N.B. 
-- 
Stocks for Cutting. 
.Of late years Stocks have come much 
more into favour, and rightly so. When 
their many merits are considered, it is 
doubtful if there are any more useful 
and decorative plants both in the open 
and for cutting from. 
It is for this latter purpose that I am 
advocating them. I am aware many 
ladies do not appreciate them as they do 
single flowers, considering them heavy. 
Much of the value of double Stocks de¬ 
pends on the way they are used. WTien 
the spikes are cut singly and placed in 
vases in a stiff formal way as they are 
often seen at flower shows, they are heavy. 
Personally I consider these should be 
shown as they grow on the plants. In 
proof of this I may say that this past sea¬ 
son I showed them in this way, cutting 
off the plant close to the ground and 
placing them in vases as they grew. 
Everyone knows how branched and light¬ 
looking a Stock is. I grow some good 
plants of Princess Alice all the year 
round, and showing them they were 
highly praised by the ladies. Some may 
consider this an expensive way, but when 
the stems are split up six inches and put 
in water at once they will last a week. 
Wanderer. 
Grow . . . 
Peas = 
For Exhibition 
♦ 
Both amateur and professional gar 
deners aim at growing a few good row 
of Peas. Peas share with Beans th 
honour of being the most nutritious 0 
vegetables, but apart from their culinan 
value, when well grown and properh 
staked, these form an interesting featuri 
of the kitchen garden. It is thought In 
many that the most important factor li 
the production of good Peas is an abun 
dant supply of farm-yard manure, bu 
this is. not the way to produce either tin 
heaviest crop or the largest and sweetes 
Peas. 
Get out a trench to the depth of two fee; 
or so, if possible running from north a 
south, and stir the soil below the two feel 
level with 'a fork to ensure perfect drain¬ 
age. Over this place a layer of partly 
decayed manure a few inches thick, and 
on this again place six inches of ,the soil 
taken from the top of the trench, cover¬ 
ing this with another layer of manure as 
before.' Next nearly fill the trench with 
soil, and scatter bone-meal at the rate of 
about two ounces to a yard run of trench, 
and fork it lightly in. 
About ten days before sowing the seed, 
sprinkle superphosphate over the ground 
in the same proportion as previously 
directed for the bone-meal, allowing it to 
remain on the surface. In sowing the 
seed, be careful to sow very thinly, four 
inches from seed to seed being close 
enough. When about three inches high, 
give another dressing of superphosphate, 
taking care to keep it off the leaves. 
Draw the soil to the young plants, work 
it between them with a trowel or the hand, 
and support them with sticks in good time, 
and place these in a oerfectly upright 
position, not slanting towards the top, as 
is commonly practised. 
When the first flowers ojaen, nip out the 
points of about half the row, leaving the 
remainder about another fortnight before 
being treated in the same way, which will 
ensure ; a supply of Peas over a longer 
period than if no pinching is done. As 
soon as the pods are formed, select the 
best shaped ones. Abundant supplies of 
water, both clear and in the form of 
liquid manure, should be given^ and a 
mulching of half-rotted dung is also 
necessary in hot weather. The pods must 
be thinned out to three to each plant, 
one only being left at any place. 
Exhibition pods should) be cut with 
scissors the evening before the show, and 
should not be touched with the hand lest 
their bloom be spoiled. To ascertain 
which are the best filled pods, hold them 
by the stalk in front of a strong light. 
Should the pods be at their best several 
days before they are wanted for the show, 
it will be better to cut them and place the 
stems in a little water than allow them 
to remain exposed to the hot sun. When 
in water they should be placed in a cool 
cellar where plenty of fresh air can reach 
lhem ' Frank Robinson. 
Jubilee Cottages, 
Hoyland Common, nr. Barnsley. 
How to 
