July  25,  1895. 
JOURXAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
75 
Growing  Crogos  in  Fields. — {h) — Corn  and  Fodder. — These  are 
often  eaten  oft  at  the  roots,  wire  worm  being  the  great  pest,  but 
eelworm  sometimes  does  mischief,  also  root  mites.  Mixtures  are 
best  for  these  crops.  Nitrate  of  soda  flushes  the  plants  too  much, 
kainit  may  do  harm  if  nitrate  is  not  given  or  nitrogenous  matter 
present.  Nitrate  of  soda,  cwt.  ;  kainit,  If  cwt.,  crushed  fine, 
mixed  thoroughly  and  distributed  evenly,  suffice  for  1  acre,  or  2  lbs. 
for  1  rod .  In  bad  cases  and  oo  the  worst  infested  places  the  follow¬ 
ing  mixture  may  be  used  Nitrate  of  soda.  If  cwt.  ;  kainit, 
3f  cwt.  per  acre,  or  lbs.  per  rod,  using  half  quantity  on  the 
other  parts  of  the  allotment  or  field.  This  last-named  mixture  is 
advised  for  root  crops  infested  at  the  roots  by  leather-jackets, 
grubs  of  any  kind,  and  wire  worm.  It  stupefies,  paralyses,  kills  the 
pests,  and  aids  the  crops  in  their  growth. 
I  have  purposely  avoided  the  mention  of  lime.  It  frightens 
Hop  grower#  and  farmers.  This  may  account  for  the  recommenda¬ 
tion  in  the  Journal  of  the  South-Eastern  College  to  employ  it  at 
the  rate  of  half  a  ton  per  acre.  Such  an  infinitessimal  dressing  “  is 
good  in  affected  gardens,  both  on  account  of  its  deleterious  action 
on  the  eelworms  and  its  good  action  on  the  soil  and  the  Hop 
plant.”  If  so,  what  must  be  the  effect  of  a  farmer’s  dressing  of 
6  to  10  tons  per  acre  ?  Would  it  not  destroy  the  eelworms  infesting 
the  soil,  both  by  its  causticity  and  taking  away  the  nitrogenous 
matter  upon  which  they  live,  converting  this  into  nitrate  of  lime 
for  the  benefit  of  the  Hop  plants  ?  • 
Muriate  or  sulphate  of  potash,  3  cwt.  per  acre,  “are  beneficial, 
as  both  tending  to  destroy  the  parasites,  and  at  the  same  time 
acting  as  a  food  substance  or  manure  for  the  plant.”  Now  close 
with  another  object  lesson.  Take  an  ordinary  glass  jam  jar,  wash 
it  clean,  put  in  cz.  sulphate  of  potash,  with  1  pint  of  water,  and 
then  introduce  the  worst  eelworm  -  infested  root  of  Cucumber, 
Tomato,  or  Hop,  or  mite-infested  bulb,  wireworm-infested  Potato, 
or  grub-eaten  Carrot,  and  then  watch  the  capers  of  the  eelworm, 
the  mites,  or  the  grubs  or  wireworms  with  the  microscope  or  the 
naked  eye,  as  the  case  may  require,  comparing  the  results  obtained 
with  those  from  the  nitric  acid  of  nitrate  of  soda,  the  chlorides  of 
kainit,  and  the  nitro-phenol  of  phenyle.  Such  experiments  are 
very  interesting,  instructive,  and  useful. 
Disinfecting  Cucumber  and  I'omato  Houses, — Syringe  every  part 
of  the  woodwork  and  walls  with  petroleum,  one  wineglassful  to 
3  gallons  of  water,  keeping  well  mixed  by  alternate  squirts  into 
the  vessel  and  over  the  house,  wetting  every  part.  The  effect  is  to 
produce  nitro-benzol,  CgHs  (NOo).  Clear  out  the  old  soil  if  shallow 
beds  are  used,  and  syringe  the  bed  part  of  the  house,  walls,  and 
floor#,  with  soluble  phenyle,  1  gill  (J  pint)  to  3  gallons,  taking  care 
to  thoroughly  wet  every  part,  even  the  cracks  or  holes  in  walls.  If 
the  house  be  kept  close  for  a  day  or  two  everything  in  the  shape  of 
eelworms  will  be  destroyed,  and  afterwards  cleansing  it  in  the 
n#ual  manner,  there  will  not  be  eelworm  attacks  unless  re-intro¬ 
duced.  If  the  soil  is  not  taken  out  it  should  be  thoroughly 
disinfected,  and  the  needful  manures  applied  in  order  to  insure 
clean  and  healthy  crops. — Gr.  Abbey. 
POTTING  COMPOSTS. 
Recent  observations  in  various  directions  have  led  me  to  the 
opinion  that  the  time  has  now  come  for  us  to  use  far  more  simple 
mixtures  when  forming  potting  composts  for  softwooded  plants 
than  we  have  hitherto  thought  necessary.  The  main  reason  that 
I  advance  in  support  of  this  contention  is  that  as  chemical  plant 
foods  contain  all  the  elements  needed  for  the  growth  of  plants  in  a 
concentrated  form,  the  constituents  of  composts  are  not  of  vital 
importance,  because  top-dressings  of  chemical  manures  may  be 
readily  applied  whenever  requi.'ed.  I  do  not  intend  to  enter  into 
an  elaborate  scientific  explanation  of  this  self-evident  fact,  but 
shall  content  myself  with  showing  the  practical  advantages  we 
may  derive  from  the  state  of  affairs.  These  are  the  ability  to 
grow  much  larger  plants  than  formerly  in  a  given  sized  pot,  less 
labour  in  preparing  composts,  and  in  watering. 
It  seems  to  me  that  we  have  in  past  times  paid  too  much 
attention  to  the  mechanical  condition  of  the  soil  in  which  plants 
were  grown.  That  open  state  of  the  soil  which  we  were  once 
taught  to  put  our  faith  in  was  perhaps,  after  all,  a  delusion,  if 
not  altogether  a  snare,  because  it  was  productive  of  very  quick 
growth,  longer  in  the  joint  than  was  desirable,  and  unless  relatively 
large  pots  were  used  it  was  necessary  to  water  so  frequently  that 
the  richest  element#  of  the  soil  were  quickly  washed  away.  It  is 
generally  admitted  that  as  fertile  soil  is  one  which  will  “  hold  ” 
the  food  it  receives,  why  then  should  we  ignore  this  vital  point 
in  the  culture  of  pot  plants  by  placing  them  in  soil  too  light  to 
retain  more  than  a  very  small  portion  of  the  fertilisers  given? 
The  only  reason  I  can  see  for  this  general  practice  is  the  force  of 
custom,  to  which  we  as  a  nation  cling  so  tenaciously.  This  is  a 
brief  explanation  of  how  matters  stand. 
Now  for  a  few  words  on  the  manner  in  which  I  think  an 
improved  state  of  affairs  may  be  brought  about.  At  the  com¬ 
mencement  I  think  we  must  allow  that  cuttings  root  more  quickly 
and  young  seedlings  grow  more  satisfactorily  in  light  materials  in 
which  leaf  soil  and  sand  form  a  large  proportion.  As  it  is 
desirable  that  quick  root  action  should  be  encouraged  at  this  stage 
no  changes  I  think  are  necessary  in  the  preparation  of  our  composts 
for  cuttings  and  very  young  plants,  but  from  the  time  they  receive 
their  first  shift  until  they  are  placed  in  their  flowering  pots  the 
retentive  nature  of  the  soil  ought  to  be  gradually  increased.  This 
may  be  brought  about  by  dispensing  with  leaf  soil,  horse  and 
cow  manures,  and  mixing  a  little  chemical  manure  with  the  soil 
instead.  By  doing  this  we  shall  obtain  a  maximum  amount  of 
nutriment  in  a  minimum  amount  of  space.  The  soil  being  retentive 
will  hold  the  bulk  of  the  manorial  agents  firm  ;  it  will  also 
require  fewer  applications  of  water,  because  that  given  will  not 
drain  away  so  rapidly  as  in  the  case  of  a  plant  potted  in  light  soil. 
Of  course,  it  will  be  necessary  to  give  efficient  drainage,  so  that 
water  after  having  passed  through  the  soil  will  find  a  ready  outlet. 
Watering  plants  grown  under  these  conditions  would  require  to  be 
performed  with  judgment,  and  the  operator  should  at  first  observe 
closely  to  find  out  the  exact  condition  the  soil  ought  to  present 
before  being  watered,  but  all  intelligent  cultivators  would  adapt 
themselves  to  the  altered  conditions.  Another  point  of  great 
importance  is  that  the  loam  used  should  be  cut  and  stacked  at 
least  six  months  before  being  used,  otherwise  the  fibre  would  not  be 
sufficiently  decayed  to  enable  the  plants  to  assimilate  its  rich 
properties. 
These  lines  have  not  been  penned  without  having  previously 
tried  a  few  experiments  in  the  direction  above  indicated,  the 
plants  experimented  upon  being  Zonal  Pelargoniums  and  Fuchsias. 
These  at  the  final  potting  were  placed  in  a  loam  of  moderate 
texture,  with  no  other  addition  than  that  of  a  little  chemical 
manure.  The  result  in  the  shape  of  sturdy,  floriferous  growth, 
and  the  amount  of  it  obtained  on  plants  growing  in  5  and  6-inch 
pots  has  proved  so  great  a  surprise  that  I  have  determined  to 
pursue  the  practice  on  a  more  extensive  scale.  In  the  meantime  I 
thought  it  well  to  give  both  writers  and  readers  of  the  Journal  of 
Horticulture  an  opportunity  of  testing  the  matter  for  themselves, 
or  of  firing  a  few  shots  at  the  apparently  faulty  logic  of  the  above 
notes.  It  may  perchance  do  good  in  some  direction,  perhaps  by 
creating  a  greater  habit  of  observation,  or  a  desire  for  experi¬ 
menting  in  some  rising  member  of  the  craft,  or  by  arousing  a 
dormant  spirit  of  opposition  in  others,  a  spirit  which  in  former 
days  has  brought  out  the  artillery  of  many  a  fluent  pen.  Should  it 
do  so  now  I  fear  the  life  of  my  “  bran  new  J  ”  will  be  a  short,  but 
perhaps  a  merry  one. — Experimenter. 
DO  LEAVES  ABSORB  MOISTURE? 
I  AM  very  much  obliged  to  “  W.  D.”  (page  56)  for  his  interest¬ 
ing  reply  to  my  letter  in  a  previous  issue  on  the  above  subject 
(page  43).  I  assure  your  correspondent  that  I  signed  myself 
exactly  what  I  felt  to  be  true.  I  thought,  from  observations  and 
rude  experiments,  that  leaves  were  in  some  way  capable  of  taking 
in  moisture,  but  in  what  particular  way  I  had  no  idea  whatever. 
Still,  after  what  I  heard  to  the  contrary,  I  thought  I  must  be 
wrong,  and  hence  my  appeal. 
As  a  gardener  I  had  many  times  noticed  the  freshening  of 
Yine  leaves  which  had  become  flaccid  during  a  hot  day,  after 
syringing  them ;  also,  perhaps,  most  gardeners  know  they  are 
freshened,  even  if  not  syringed,  when  the  paths  and  walls  of  the 
house  are  well  moistened  and  the  ventilators  closed,  the  roots  of 
the  Vines  being  in  outside  borders,  so  that  the  moisture  in  the 
house  was  certainly  not  imbibed  by  them.  Then  it  occurred  that 
the  revival  of  the  foliage  might  be  due  to  the  prevention  of 
evaporation,  and  the  root  moisture  thus  accumulating  in  the  leaves  ; 
but  this  supposition  did  not  satisfy  in  face  of  the  fact  of  dew 
freshening  plants  in  such  a  remarkable  way  at  a  time  when 
evaporation  from  their  leaves  is  reduced  to  a  minimum,  and. 
