The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1881-10-27
HOme.M q de EertilIzers.

An Engllsh gafdenef says: nave
long had great faith in SCOT as ma
nure, and have here a covered box
placed near the castle into which the
sweep puts all the SCOT from the CHM
neys and fues from time to time; this
in the course of the year amounts to an
incredible quantity of manure, and very
handy and useful we find it. When a
piece of ground is dug we give it
dressing with SCOT, and then, in garden
ing phrase, "break it down" for the
crop. This really means running a
harrow or rough rake over it, and it
mixes the SCOT nicely, and the result is
always satisfactory in the crop. Last
year our onion crop showed unmistaka-
bic signs of the maggot. immedi-
ately had the piece dressed with SCOT.
Heavy rains sci in just after, and soon
the onions were on their legs and the
maggots were gone. The rain water
from off the roof of the kitchen runs
into tank and is heavily charged with
SCOT. This is handy to the flower gar
den, and we find it capital for watering
flower beds in summer. The park one
autumn had lot of what the country
people here call sold to r''-why I know
not, but it means a lot of old, coarse
grass--a good dressing Of SCOT in the
spring, and it soon gave place to fine,
young, fresh grass, and ever since the
deer and Highland cattle may be found
at pasture on this brow.
While I am on this subject of home
made manures, allow me to mention a
few others, and the next shall be ashes,
more especially wood ashes. This is
invaluable in a garden if kept dry till
used. We all know what a terrible
plague "the club " is among the Bras
sica tribe; well, if the seed is sown on
the surface and covered with ashes, and
at planting time hole, with large
dibber, is made in the ground and filled
with the ashes, inserting the plant into
this, have never known the club to
trouble one, and it is the very best
thing to dress lawns and meadow lands,
encouraging the best grasses and clo-
vers. In a woody country like this
there is plenty Of charcoal dust at the
bottom of the heap; this is most useful
for potting and fruit-tree border max
ing; some say it makes grass extra dark
in color-that l cannot positively be
sure of, although 1 rather side with the
belief. Lime is not nearly enough used
in the gardens. Every bit of ground
should, in my opinion, be lined once in
five years. 1t kills slugs and insects
and hchen on trees, and acts chemi-
cally on the ground, and is often bet
ter than manure for certain crops.
1 remember once seeing ground
dressed in the gray lime produce
barley fifty-seven pounds per bushels
Horse-hoof parings make most excel
lent manure for potting pines, vines,
peiargoniums, ETC., and one can easily
make arrangements with the nearest
blacksmith to save them. When one
reads of horn shavings being run alter,
/ often think there are as good at the
village forge. Bones are most valuable
in garden; they decompose but slowly
keep the ground open, and ale invalu
able in vine border making. The
champion bench Of grapes grown a
Edinburgh some years ago, weighing
over twenty-six pounds, did the clever
gardener who grew it great credit; bu
it should also be known that there wer,
heaps of bones in the border. A gar
dener whom had got good situation
for took it into his head to send me
couple of geese at Christmas time. Th'
geese were eaten, no matter when o
where, but the bones were saved; these
with some others, were put into tn
bottom of two vases on the terrace wall
two good plants of Tom Thumb pelar
gonium were planted in them, and a
the end of September they measures
seventeen feet six inches in circumfei
ence. So much for bones and plent
of water.