1 Dece, 1899.] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 571 
Buyers should always insist on knowing the analysis of any fertiliser that 
they purchase, and not only that, but they should insist on the seller giving 
them a guarantee that the fertiliser as sold is up to such analysis. Given this, 
it is an easy matter to compare the value of any particular fertiliser with those 
given above. 
FOR CITRUS TREES. 
Citrus fruits remove a considerable amount of plant food from the soil, as 
will be seen by referring to the table at the end. They require large quantities 
of nitrogen and potash, but onlya comparatively small proportion of phosphoric 
acid. It is not advisable to give the trees too soluble a manure, or to apply it 
in too large quantities, but the fertilisers should contain plant food in both a 
soluble and slowly available form. ‘The following proportions will be found to 
suit any orchards :— 
Owt. 
Meatworks manure, blood, and bones ae 10 
Superphosphate a. ort fy aM 4 
Sulphate of potash... Le Ete doen 4, 
Sulphate of ammonia... be ood a, 2 
20 
This fertiliser will contain about 5} per cent. of nitrogen, 10 per cent. 
of potash, 10% per cent. of phosphoric acid, of which 32 per cent. is water soluble, 
and be worth £7 per ton. Manuring is seldom required in young citrus orchards 
in this colony, provided they are planted in suitable soil; but if the land is poor, 
then from + to 6 Ib. per tree for trees up to five years of age, applied in two lots, 
will be sufficient, but for trees in bearing the amount should range from 10 to 
20 lb. per tree according to size, applied in two lots. In making the above 
manure, blood or nipho may be substituted for the sulphate of ammonia, but it 
will be apt to render the fruit more acid and somewhat thicken the skin. The 
best way to apply this manure is to broadcast it round the tree and to either 
chip, harrow, or cultivate it in; spread the manure round the feeding roots of 
the trees, not right round the stem. Apply in July or August, and again in 
January. Experience may prove that in the case of rich scrub soil of yoleanic 
or some soils of granitic origin it is not necessary to use so much potash, in 
which case it may be reduced, and the nitrogen and phosphoric acid increased. 
Tn the case of sandy soils it may also be advisable to increase the proportion. 
of potash, but this can only be determined by the orchardist carefully noting 
the result of the manuring. 
FOR BANANAS. 
All banana-growers know that this fruit thrives best in rich serub land 
that is rich in humus and nitrogen; hence any manure that is applied should 
contain these elements. Farm manure is especially adapted for this crop on 
account of the large quantity of organic matter it contains, and when it ean be 
obtained in quantity it is the best manurial agent that can be applied. If 
followed by commercial fertilisers, its beneficial effects are considerabl y increased. 
The banana is a strong quick-growing plant; hence it is necessary that the 
plant food supplied to it shall be such that it is in a readily available condition. 
‘This necessitates the use of quick-acting fertilisers, but they should be combined 
with a proportion of slower acting ones, so that the effects may be more lasting. 
Where bananas are planted in old land it is advisable to apply the fertiliser 
at the time of planting, mixing it thoroughly with the soil that is placed in the 
hole that is dug for the plant, so that the young plant will have a sufficiency of 
plant food from the start, and therefore make a rapid growth. Subsequent 
manurings should be applied broadcast round the plants or, in the case of old 
plantations, over the whole of the ground, so ay not to confine the roots to one 
particular spot, and then chipped, harrowed, or cultivated in. The best time to 
apply such fertiliser is in early spring before the summer growth starts, as it 
will then be available for use when growth takes place. 
