FOR GARDENERS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 424, 5 February 1909, Page 2

FOR GARDENERS.

HOW TO MANURE THE CROPS. Gardeners who are diligently 'studying, the scienoe. of. manuring will. bs .interested > :in reading the practice, of : a market gardener (not a New Zealaiider) Vho is growing gardeli crops on a large scale—on 300 acres of land.- .'lf one remembers that potash (as';sup-. plied by the kainit) is the element least lacking in'"Wellington soils, Md that in any Case kainit, with' its (jreat proportion or: injurious common salt, is 1 less safe'-as a manure 'than Sulphate. of potash ..(which contains; four times as much potash) or nitrate' of' potash (saltpetre), then the experience lifere given may be instructive. ..... : A Big Garden. This man devotes about— 70 acres to: cabbages, 30 acres to spinach, . . 25 acres to beetroots, • ■ 12' acres to celery, v .•: GO acres to raspberries, ' '' .-•■'•'. -;-;7. : '.--;- 25'aores to peas and beails, • . 10 acres to carrots. • J The soil is described as' clayey, deficient .in lime. To remedy this, latter defect lie has ■ applied ; during the .11 y ears two' dressings' Of two tons of lime ■ (qUlftk-lime)' per acrCj'and next year intends to give another, dressing of the Bimo quantity,•: as ■ indging., fromJappedrance its:, seems to.be desirable; Farmyard manure is applied every five years at the of 10 tons- per acre. The object of;the farmyard manure was not so much for tents of plant food- .as for; its'; beneficial-jn--fluerice on 'bacterial' life and activity. 3.'. ' Tho following- applications r. of / fertilisers: found to produce tho best: • results :-r ■ ;; ;: K

Best Modiclnes for, Leafy Plants. t : For, cabba<*es_ and celery, 6 to 7cwt.v. per acre of, kainit in winter; followed in, Spring by;'-Bo\rtv-'bf : superphosphate' 1 and ; 3ctWvOt . nitrate of; equivalent 'to.; a • dressing':of ■ l&cwtV ■'Jer-. acre, of .avcoinplete' : manure;- : .with : analysis or— , 4 per cent.: nitrogen (equals 4£ per: ceht.. ammonia). • : 7 per cent. soluble phosphate of lime. 6-per cent, potash (pure). ;■ What tho Carrots UUod, winter,. followed :in spring ; by ; V.'3cwt.:: supcrrphosphato, and 36wt. nitrate of soda,; oquiva-t lent, to' a dressing of 15c\vt. of ; a complete manure with an analysis of— .3; por cent, nitrogen (equals 3f per: cent, ammonia)..:;':i, -■ '■< i..-• ; V,-,'rf';'p■'.; • ; .vv'- •' 5 per cent, soluble phosphate Of lime. ; : • 8 per cent, potash (pu?b). ■' : WBeans and Peas. For beans and; ptias, 2&cwt; sulphate of ) ;;3owt;i ; , supoit)hoisphatei^ t i^ : . i .nitrate, of soda all applied m Spring, , equivalent to a dressing \ 6jcwt. of a complete /manure with analysis of — v,'-h'S'. i -1-i . per . .cent../ riitfogen '(equalsper:..cent.ammonia). ■ 12- per conti soluble phosphate of lime. - • 11 per. cent, potash (pure), v.: > iFor raspberries,,6cwt, kainit, - 3owt: basio slag; and 3cwt. sulphate of ainmoniaj .ipll applied m fipring;'equivalent tea drossing-of 12owt..:^f.;"coaip)efe,...iiiattu»;"'mth.'-;'\Bfialysia'-of— ' i 'vl'iV

6 por cent, ammonia. . 9.per cent..phosphate of lime.': . 0 per cent. potasK (pure)..; . . ; '.v - ---: Prefergneo .(says .this, wholesale, -gardener) !.jj| givch jtoiikaiiuilibvprofithd fenlifissol'.'potash,. _ih'jspite of its. tendency, to oru'sh .the ■ soil, ■ because it retains to; have more effect On. the .foliage 'of tlie/plants. ICifcFttte f'of _ s'Scl a. : v'ik'.'-'Eppli&d jr;' hVii'if; beiiig,;fii^t('mised%itfc.dry' , wil. i ;': . : '-'In : . growing ';fcuit i ' i and r ; mii&ke'tV' : dues, a liberal supply of water, is a'necessary 11 1 get ; the- filll-: effectcout'of ;the' arti&- ? cial manures, and'; its Bupply dock- notvusu:ally. receive -:theVattention itsV importance'' meHts.vW , ':-,W/o:T--.V^^^ 1 - ' Every ,Carderter his own Apotheoary. • It will be noticed that this gardener did not.'uso any-patent .mixhires; llo'did.his. •.owni -..tnisip'g v -witli.:;tlibvraw- "'VOTiat tnG'-.proper. way,- and ?sb soon as tho IVcllington gardeners understand:- enough . about theso manures to do'the same; they can very using mysterious mixtures labelled "garden manure,.. ■ "potato. manure." . "to-, mate• manure,"i ot<s. /.-.Yet ■ it-must 'he confessed) that; : these; readyimad^•;,manures - ire ' wonderfully bencfioial, and for those, gardeners who cannot grasp -the • intricacies 1 ;• of ;an-' alj'sos and chemical-ionstlWeuts-tfey v servo. ; a most,"valuablepurpose.;',.-But;^the we'Sfflessia that .the gardener learns : liothiug,-by using: .them,.' except'. the value : atv.all. If ho, ; bagins.to/rely ture,:• and. that .mixture suddenly, ceases to COmo upon the market,- he-, is -.thrown' -, help-' less.- . If ho ; experiments With. nitrate '■'■ of soda or sulphate of; atnmohia. for the nitrogen they - contam ; -or .with nitrate.of,.pota3h;fOr its nitrogen and potashor. with sulphate ■of potash or. wood ashes for their potash; with lime,;: with bonodust, guaiio,- : i)jaaiq slag, and superphosphate; for. tho phosphato of' limo contain and.-: finds'S^^OUt; .which; of; : th6e: (or whfch misturos) - best ■ suit; his- various 'Crops; -he;theh 'begins: to 'maEter his subjeetand gets'upoii'.safe-groundj.for he knows the value of the raw/material. ■■ For.; the .-present}' however,, the gardenm's who have not ; time tO' study the soionce- of fertilisers, the special manures sold..:at;'the,?plant' : shops- willgive good value for their cost;-» ' ■; . ;