28 
THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
When the foliage is dark green, the growth soft and 
sappy, it is pretty sure evidence there is abundance of 
nitrogen in tlie soil to cheek tliis rankness of growth; 
phospliates, potasli and lime sliould be added to encourage 
the formation of flower and fruits. 
Natural substances that sup[)ly nitrates are such as 
animal manures, tish, night soil, etc. In artificial form it 
comes in the form of nitrate of soda, nitrate of potash, 
sulphate of ammonia and other mediums. It may be add¬ 
ed to the soil through the medium of muriate of potash, 
sulphate of potash and kainit. 
Calcareous manures are of much importance to the soil, 
and are usually added in the form of hydrated lime. The 
value is not so much in the lime itself, as the chemical 
action it sets uj). It liberates plant foods stored in the 
soil, making them soluble and so available to the plant. 
It follows that the constant use of calcareous manures 
tends to impoverish the soil unless other manures are 
added. 
Phosphatic manures produce firmer growth than the 
nitrogenous manures and tend to an earlier production of 
flow^ers and fruit. Bones, superphosphate, wmod ashes, 
basic slag are the chief source of supply of the phosphor¬ 
ic acid which is an ingredient of every part of a plant 
and so very essential. 
Potash manures, nearly all soil contains liberal quanti¬ 
ties of potash, but it is often locked up with other ele- 
► merits and not available for tbe plants until liberated by 
culivation and the application of organic manures. 
THE NON-WARRANTY CLAUSE 
This clause has been bitterly attacked at times, and as 
strongly defended by the trade (both at home and abroad; 
as absolutely necessary to the existence of the seed tradi;. 
An interesting point, which should be carefully noted 
by all concerned, is that the Government itself, now that 
it has joined the ranks of the trade, has adopted the non¬ 
warranty clause. 
In the papers issued last w^eek by tbe Food Production 
Dept, of the Board of Agriculture, to tbe horticultural 
representatives and others, giving particulars of its 
scheme for the distribution of seed potatoes, the following 
paragraph occurs (page 3, paragraph 15) :— 
“While the Department will take every reasonable 
precaution to secure sound ‘seed’ true to type, they give 
no warranty, expressed or implied, as to the (juality, 
purity, or productiveness of the potatoes supplied un¬ 
der this scheme.” 
Newark, New York, December 26, 1917. 
Mr. Ernest Hemming, 
Editor National Nurseryman, 
Flourtown, Pennsylvania. 
Dear Mr. Hemming; 
The clipping above, taken from the “Horticultural Ad¬ 
vertiser” of Novemher fourteenth, one of the leading Brit¬ 
ish trade papers, may interest your readers, ])articularly 
lhos(‘ who happen to r(‘call tin* reckless and altogether 
gralutions public statement by one of them that the nur¬ 
serymen who took occasion to point out to their represen¬ 
tatives in Congress some of the unworkable provisions of 
the Barclay Misbranding Bill, were desperately seeking to 
evade the just consequences of deliberate wrong-doing, 
in opposing a bill intended to correct irregularties wbich 
' have brought the trade into disrepute, or something 
equally nonsensical. 
The “misbranding” question lias been up in England 
too; and now comes the British Government in an official 
circular of their Board of Agriculture in which they offer 
seed potatoes under tbe standard non-warranty clause 
used by the nurserymen and seedsmen wdiose acquain¬ 
tance wnth business enables them to see the necessity for 
it. And it would not seem a rash prediction to say that 
if our own Government should find it necessary to take 
over the sale and distribution of certain garden- and field- 
seeds, we may see here the same governmental sanction 
and use of the disclaimer. 
Yours truly, 
John Watson. 
CALIFORNIA RETURNS GIFT 
Five and one-half million pounds of seed beans and 
1,500,000 two-year-old French prune trees are being 
gathered in California for shipment to Northern France 
to rehabilitate the fields and orchards devastated by the 
Germans in their retreat. 
The beans are pink and black-eye varieties, and the 
quantity is sufficient to plant 69,000 acres. The prune 
trees will convert 15,000 acres into bearing orchards 
within two years. 
There is a bit of sentiment in California’s sending 
young orchards to France, as it was this war-torn repub¬ 
lic that gave the State its first prune trees. This was in 
1856, and since that time the prune orchards cover nearly 
100,000 acres and bring to the growers more than $10,- 
000,000 a year. 
If an average crop is raised from the California seed it 
will mean an addition to the food supply of France of 
more than two and one-half pounds of beans next sum¬ 
mer to each of the 40,000,000 residents. Shipments will 
begin immediately after the new year .—Philadelphia 
Record. 
Winter courses in agriculture including instruction in 
many of the branches of farming will be opened at the 
College of Agriculture, Ohio State University, Columbus, 
on .lanuary 7; they will continue through eight weeks, 
closing on March 1. The miniinum age limit for enter¬ 
ing the farm courses is 17; however, in view of the pres¬ 
ent necessity for the production of more food, provisions 
will be made for instructing farm men over draft age as 
well as any subject to draft. No previous high school or 
college training will be required for entrance. 
Forty special lectures have been provided in addition 
to the courses in animal husbandry, farm crops, farm 
management, soil fertility, agricultural engineering, hor¬ 
ticulture, vegetable gardening and poultry husbandry. 
Full information may be secured by writing to tbe Col¬ 
lege of Agriculture, Columbus,' Ohio. 
