May  20,  1897. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
431 
the  garden  it  must  have  been  several  degrees  colder,  judging  from 
appearance  in  the  open  fields. — W.  S.,  Rood  Ashton,  Wiltshire. 
[We  have  had  many  allus:ons  to  the  damage  done  bj  the  frosts  of  last 
week  We  hear  the  first  blooms  of  Strawberries,  which  invariably 
give  the  finest  fruits,  in  the  extensive  collection  at  Chiswick  are  blacked, 
as  they  are  in  numbers  of  other  gardens  in  the  South.  In  one  instance 
the  later  buds  are  said  to  be  killed.  In  passing  through  Mr.  A.  H. 
Smee’s  interesting  garden  in  Surrey  the  other  day,  we  observed  that 
bis  gardener,  Mr.  Cummins,  had  been  on  the  alert  and  saved  a  square  of 
Potatoes  by  covering  them  with  bay,  the  plants  in  one  row  left  uncovered 
being  cut  to  the  ground.  The  full  extent  of  the  injury  done  to  fruit 
crops  generally  is  not  yet  fully  ascertained.] 
PLANT  CONSTITUENTS  :  SODA. 
( Concluded  from  page  368.) 
When  washing  soda  is  used  as  manure  it  is  crushed  fine  and  dis¬ 
tributed  broadcast  at  the  rate  of  half  to  1  oz.  per  square  yard,  1  to  2  lbs. 
per  rod,  1|  to  3  cwt.  per  acre,  the  price  wholesale  being  about  5^d.  per 
stone  (14  lbs  ),  3s.  6d.  per  cwt.,  bag  included.  For  “greens’'  it  is  given 
at  the  time  of  setting,  usually  the  lesser  quantity,  and  if  occasion  require 
repeating  the  dressing  before  winter,  but  keeping  the  soda  from  the 
hearts  of  the  plants.  It  is  good  for  everything  liable  to  grow  too  much 
to  top,  especially  crops  prone  to  suffer  from  succulency  of  growth 
during  frost  in  autumn,  winter,  and  spring,  and  answers  for  either 
vegetables  or  fruits.  It  is  especially  valuable  for  winter  Spinach, 
Strawberries  running  too  much  to  leaf,  and  all  plants  that  need  solidi¬ 
fication  and  fortifying  with  silica.  It  is  better  than  salt  for  most  crops, 
as  it  supplies  the  soda  without  the  chlorine,  which  is  apt  to  retard  the 
growth  too  much  in  growing  for  market. 
Sodium  sulphate,  or  sulphate  of  soda,  Na^O*,  142,  also  called  Glauber 
salts  and  salt-cake,  is  a  compound  of  sodium  and  sulphuric  acid.  In  the 
crystallised  state  it  contains  about  56  per  cent,  of  water,  and  when 
exposed  to  the  air  it  yields  by  parting  with  its  water  of  crystallisation 
the  anhydrous  (that  is,  without  water)  salt,  a  good  commercial  article 
containing  from  94  to  98  per  cent,  of  sodium  sulphate.  It  is  sometimes 
obtained  as  a  bye-product  in  the  manufacture  of  nitric  acid  from  nitrate 
of  soda,  when  the  sulphate  contains  smull  quantities  of  nitrate  of  soda, 
and  thus  has  better  fertilising  value.  The  mauurial  property  depends 
on  the  sulphur  ;  this,  in  the  form  of  sulphuric  acid  being  supplied  to  the 
land  and  plant,  hence  sulphate  of  soda  has  been  found  to  be  a  good 
manure  for  cereal  and  leguminous  crops,  especially  on  light  soils. 
It  should  be  applied  in  a  fine  powder  at  the  rate  of  f  oz.  per  square 
yard,  1£  lb.  per  rod,  2^  cwt.  per  acre,  which  is  a  suitable  application  for 
crops  —  cereals,  Clover,  grass  (including  lawns),  Beans,  Peas,  and 
Potatoes — -generally.  It  is  a  “growing”  manure  by  virtue  of  the 
sulphur,  therefore  should  be  applied  in  the  spring  or  when  growth  is 
desired,  which  can  only  be  when  the  heat  and  moisture  favour.  The 
soda  certainly  profits  both  fruits  as  well  as  grasses,  and  legumes  on 
light  gravelly  soils  ;  but  the  sulphur  can  do  little  good  on  moist  land,  and 
the  soda  left  may  do  harm.  Sodium  sulphate  mixes  easily  with  nitrate 
of  soda,  phosphates,  and  other  manures,  there  being  generally  plenty  of 
it  in  “  special  ”  manures  for  Bean,  Clover  corn,  and  Potato  crops. 
Sodium  chloride  or  common  salt,  NaCI,  58  5,  has  been  used  as  a 
manure  from  very  ancient  times,  but  its  action  upon  plant  life  is  little 
mnderstood  ;  yet  that  on  the  soil  is  known  to  be  chemical  and  mechanical, 
and  the  resulting  changes  beneficial  to  many  garden  and  most  farm  crops. 
It  is  used  to  some  extent  on  grain  crops,  especially  on  Wheat,  to  prevent 
excessive  growth  of  straw,  brightening  and  toughening  it,  consequently 
better  enabling  the  plant  to  resist  the  attacks  of  rust  and  other  parasitic 
fungi.  It  also  acts  well  against  weeds,  root  insects,  and  molluscs, 
retaining  moisture  in  light  soils,  while  its  action  upon  soils  rich  in  nitrogen 
restrains  the  growth  of  the  plant,  which  may  be  due  to  the  chlorine 
killing,  this  hindering  the  development  of  the  nitrifying  micro-organisms, 
whilst  the  soda,  or  rather  the  salt,  bodily  acts  on  the  silica,  and  so 
fortifies  the  plant  with  this  substance.  Salt  acts  beneficially  in  many 
soils  by  making  potash,  lime,  and  magnesia  available  as  food  for  plants. 
It  decomposes  the  double  hydrous  silicates  of  calcium,  potassium,  and 
magnesium,  displacing  first  lime,  then  magnesia  and  potash  and  some 
phosphoric  acid.  Salt  also  hastens  the  decomposition  of  organic  matter, 
•“  fixing  ”  the  ammonia  by  converting  it  into  ammonium  chloride. 
Salt  also  possesses  the  property  of  flocculating  fine  earth,  thus  it 
exerts  an  important  mechanical  influence  on  compact  clayey  soils,  and 
is  otherwise  useful  in  the  soil  and  plant.  When  used  to  stiffen  the 
straw  of  Wheat  or  any  other  plant  1  oz.  per  square  yard,  2  lbs.  per  rod, 
3  cwt.  per  acre  may  be  applied  in  the  Bpring,  always  by  the  time  or  a 
little  before  growth  for  the  season  commences  in  the  plant.  For 
Brassicas  and  “  roots,”  including  Jerusalem  Artichokes,  Potatoes,  and 
Yams,  also  Tomatoes,  the  ealt,  always  crushed  fine,  should  be  supplied  at 
the  time  of  sowing,  setting,  or  planting  out.  Double  the  amount  of  salt 
may  be  employed  on  land  for  the  Cabbage  tribe,  or  in  the  case  of  crops 
that  have  to  stand  the  winter  the  quantity  specified  may  be  given  at  the 
time  of  setting  out  and  a  similar  amount  in  late  September  or  early  in 
October,  but  this  dressing  must  be  kept  from  the  hearts  or  useful  leaves 
of  the  plants,  distributing  it  between  the  rows.  For  autumn-sown 
Onions  and  winter  Spinach  the  salt  should  be  supplied  at  sowing  time, 
while  for  spring  Cabbage  and  Lettuce  it  may  be  applied  at  the  time  of 
transplanting  The  object  in  all  these  cases  is  to  render  the  plants 
sturdy  and  hardy,  also  to  destroy  their  enemies — the  slugs  and  other 
predatory  pests.  _ 
For  leguminous  crops  salt  may  be  mixed  with  gypsum  (ground)  in 
equal  proportions,  applying  2  ozs.  per  square  yard,  *4  lb.  per  rod,  *6  cwt. 
per  acre.  Good  results  follow  a  dressing  given  at  the  time  of  sowing, 
or  in  the  case  of  autumn-sown  Beans  or  Peas  the  dressing  should  be 
given  in  the  spring,  when  the  plant  commences  growth  for  the  season. 
It  induces  sturdy  growth,  prevents  an  excess  of  haulm  or  straw,  and 
concentrates  the  energies  and  food  on  the  pods,  securing  an  abundance 
of  large  and  well-filled,  such  as  only  sturdy  and  healthy  plants  can 
produce.  The  mixture  acts  well  on  bush  and  other  fruits  that 
grow  too  much  wood  for  the  plentiful  production  of  fruit,  being  as 
suitable  for  stone  fruits  as  other  kinds,  causing  lank  and  sappy  growths 
to  become  sturdy,  short-jointed,  and  fruitful.  The  mixture  should  be 
applied  in  the  spring,  when  the  plants  are  starting  into  growth  or 
swelling  the  buds,  and  does  not  interfere  with  the  beneficial  action  of 
nitrogenic  or  ammoniacal  substances  present  or  supplied  to  the  soil,  but 
conserves  them  for  the  use  of  the  plant,  whilst  securing  their  acting  in 
the  most  desirable  way  for  profitable  returns. 
As  an  ingredient  of  general  manures  salt  acts  as  an  antiseptic,  retard¬ 
ing  the  decomposition  of  ammonium  urate,  so  that  more  of  the  urate 
remains  available  as  such  for  the  feeding  crop  than  would  be  the  case  if 
nitrogenic  or  ammoniacal  manures  were  used  alone.  It  was  formerly 
mixed  in  equal  proportions  with  Peruvian  guano  before  applying  it  to 
the  land,  and  1  oz  per  square  yard,  2  lbs.  per  rod,  3  cwt.  per  acre  gave 
much  better  results,  as  regards  a  sturdier,  healthier,  and  more  productive 
plant,  than  was  obtained  by  the  use  of  guano  alone.  The  guanos  of  the 
present  time  generally  contain  sufficient  sodium  for  practical  purposes, 
so  that  there  is  less  need  to  mix  salt  with  them  now  than  was  the  case 
formerly.  Nevertheless,  the  nitrogenous  guanos  give  better  results  when 
a  third  part  of  common  salt  is  added — that  is,  two  parts  nitrogenous 
guano,  and  one  part  salt.  Salt  may  also  be  used  along  with  nitrogenous 
or  ammoniacal  manures,  the  object  being  to  counteract  the  tendency  of 
these  to  produce  exuberance  of  growth,  and  thus  checking  over-luxuriance 
secure  a  maximum  of  useful  produce  ;  for  wbat  profit  is  there  in  rank 
Potato  tops  without  corresponding  sound,  best-quality  tubers,  or  in 
luxuriant  “  grass  ”  without  equivalent  grain,  or  in  an  exuberance  of 
foliage  without  an  abundance  of  large,  clean  fruit  ? 
The  need  of  sodium  by  certain  plants,  such  as  Asparagus,  Seakale, 
and  other  seaside  plants  when  grown  inland  is  a  vexed  question.  The 
chemist  scores  when  he  tells  us  that  sodium  is  not  essential  for  the 
production  of  the  finest  Asparagus  and  Seakale.  f  “  Herapath  made 
two  analyses  of  Asparagus,  one  of  the  wild  and  the  other  of  the  culti¬ 
vated  plant,  both  gathered  in  flower.  The  former  was  rich  in  sodium, 
the  latter  almost  destitute  of  this  substance,  but  contained  correspond¬ 
ingly  more  potassium. 
Ash  Ingredients  of  Asparagus. 
.  Wild.  Cultivated. 
Potassium  oxide .  18-8  .  *  50’5 
Sodium  oxide  .  16’2  trace 
Calcium  oxide  .  .  28-l  .  21 ’3 
Magnesium  oxide .  l-5  — 
Chlorine  .  16‘5  8'3 
Sulphur  trioxide .  9'2  .  4  5 
Phosphorus  pentoxide .  12'8  12‘4 
Silica  .  l-0  3*7 
“These  results  go  to  show — it  being  assumed  that  only  a  very  minute 
amount  of  sodium  if  any,  is  absolutely  necessary  to  plant  life — that 
the  sodium  which  appears  to  replace  potassium  is  accidental,  and  that 
the  replaced  potassium  is  accidental  also,  or  in  excess  above  what  is 
really  needed  by  the  plant,  and  leaves  us  to  infer  that  the  quantity  of 
these  bodies  absorbed  depends  to  some  extent  on  the  composition  of  the 
soil,  snd  is  to  the  same  degree  independent  of  the  wants  of  Vegetation.” 
The  Beet,  Cabbage  and  Carrot,  as  well  as  Asparagus  and  Seakale,  are 
seaside  plants,  but  they  all  grow  well  inland  under  cultivation  and  in 
comparative  absence  of  sodium  compounds.  Which  are  the  healthiest 
or  freest  from  disease  f  The  cultivated  or  the  wild  ?  This  is  an  aspect 
of  the  question  apt  to  be  overlooked  by  chemists,  who  make  out  that 
sodium  is  not  indispensable  or  that  a  small  amount  suffices  for  the 
requirements  of  vegetation,  and  that  most  soils  contain  sufficient.  What 
about  the  amount  of  soda  supplied  in  the  commercial  fertilisers,  kainit, 
and  farmyard  manure  (commonly  1 ’9)  ?  Is  there  enough  in  these  sub¬ 
stances  to  meet  the  requirements  of  cultivated  plants  for  sodium  ?  If 
so,  are  the  plants  as  sturdy,  hardy  and  disease-resisting  as  those  growing 
on  land  to  which  a  judicious  dressing  of  common  salt  is  occasionally 
supplied  ?  _ 
Expedient  dressings,  such  as  are  often  given  Asparagus  beds,  osten¬ 
sibly  to  benefit  the  “  grass,”  but  really  for  destroying  weeds,  express 
*  The  amounts  are  rather  more  than  the  rate  per  square  yard,  but  round 
figures  are  given  for  convenience. 
•f  Johnson’s  “How  Crops  Grow,”  page  190 
