Manures

Manure of some sort is essential to the growing of plants in pots or

boxes, both because of the plant-food it adds to the soil, and because

it improves its mechanical condition and sponginess or water-holding

quality. Thoroughly rotted horse manure or horse and cow manure mixed is

by far the best. Cow manure alone, or pig manure, is lumpy and cold,

and hen, sheep, pigeon or other special manures are not safe in the

hands of the beginner, as they are one-sided, being especially rich in

nitrogen and likely either to burn the plants or to cause too soft and

watery growth.



This brings us to the point where it is necessary to say a few words

about the theory of manures, for they are not all alike and what would

be wise to give a plant under some circumstances under others would be

quite wrong, just as you would not think of feeding beefsteak to a baby

just recovering from the colic, while it might be a very good thing for

a hungry man who was going to saw up your wood-pile.



Plants of all sorts--in pots, in the garden or in a ten-acre

lot--require three kinds of food elements: nitrogen, phosphoric acid and

potash. These elements may be fed to the plants in various forms; for

instance, the nitrogen in hen manure, or in cottonseed meal, or in salts

from the nitrate fields of Chile, known as nitrate of soda; the

phosphoric acid from bone, or from acid phosphate (a ground rock treated

with acid); the potash from wood ashes or from German potash salts

(muriate or sulphate of potash). Plants, to do their best, require that

all three elements shall be present in sufficient amounts to supply

their wants.



It is not necessary, however, to go very deeply into the science of

plant foods in order to grow plants successfully. Fortunately, manure

rotted as described above, furnishes all three elements in about the

right proportions. Cow, sheep, hen and pigeon manure are best used as

described later, under "Liquid Manuring."