Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1885-08-11
SCOT as a Fertilizer.

SCOT as a Fertilizer.
| The following article is from the London
| Garden. Much has been written in Amer
| lea about SCOT without explaining that it
| is the SCOT of soft or bituminous coal which
| is referred to. Wherever this SCOT can be
procured it is of great value:
There can be no doubt that SCOT is an
excellent fertilizer and it is possibly less
appreciated as such than it deserves to be.
| recollect trying experiments with various
kinds of manure, including SCOT. with the
view of ascertaining their effect upon the
production OF various culinary crops, such
as peas, potatoes, French beans, cauli
| flowers, etc, and. so far as | can remem-
Der. the crops obtained from the portion of
| land dressed with SCOT were next in point
of produce, or nearly equal to those 90
tain ed from land heavily dressed with well
decomposed stable ward manure. At all
events. the two fertilizers just named
proved much better than all the others
| tried. consi ting of bone dust, nitrate of
soda. gas lime. wood, coal, and other
ashes. spent hops, etc. SCOT should therefore
be secured whenever it is possible. and as it
is of great importance that it should be kept
dry, bin or large box of some kind
should be placed under cover for its re-
cepton. 1t may with benefit be applied
to all kinds of land light as well as heavy
and there is hardly a crop cultivated in
the garden to which it may not, with
great advantage, be occasionally applied.
"Soot water is found to be exceedingly
beneficial to pineapple plants either when
grown in pots or planted out. 1t drives
worms from the soil, and repeated appli-
cations soon show their effect in the in
creased vigor and healthy appearance of
the plants. It's effect upon the grape vine,
too, when applied in the form Of dress
INC to the surface of the border, whether
inside or outside, is soon apparent. The
SCOT is gradually conveyed to the feeding
roots by action of rain or the repeated APP
plications of water. and the texture and
color of the foliage soon show the good
results derived theretrom. Strawberry
plants in pots may also be greatly benefit
ted by repeated applications of SCOT water.
which has the effect of driving earth
worms, maggots, etc. from the pots. as
we'll as acting as fertilizer Indeed
there are few, if any, plants growing in
pots, which may not be more or less ben
Gifted by its occasional application. and |
have never known plants to be injured by
it. although have known it to be applied
even to cape heaths and epacrises, and it
| is known to be a valuable stlmulant in the
case of the camelia.
at is also admitted to be a powerful
manure for most kinds of culinary crops
! in the case OF he onion it is of the great
est value. This crop is frequently at
tackled by NJ maggot, which. if not
checked, soon commits sad ravages, and
the best remedy j. a good dressing of
SCOT. AS, however. prevention Is better
than cure. the land intended for this crop
should, in almost all cases, have a good
dressing of this material shortly before
the seed is sown in addition to any other
manure which may have been given dur
ing the preceding winter. Nearly all
plants of the Brassca tribe are liable to
be attacked by what is known as the club.
which frequently proves very trouble
some, and the best known preventive of
this is what is called pudding the roots
of the plants. an operation easily per-
formed by making hole in the soil near
to where the plantation is intended to
stand; in this hole. place a portion of
fresh SCOT. and to this add portion of
fine soil, and water it until it acquires the
consistency of thick paint. and into this
dip the roots of the plants before
planting them. Seed beds of the various
kinds of cabbages, lettuces, radishes,
ect., when the seed is just about to ger
intimate. are very apt to be attacked by
birds of various kinds. and this may some
times be prevented by giving the surface
OF the beds an occasional slight dressing
of fresh soot the odor of which the feath-
cred depredators do not by any means rel
ish. A slight dusting of this material
round newly planted lettuce will also go
far to keep slugs and snalls from attack
ing them. which they are apt to do-be-
fore the plants have recovered from the
effects of transportation. Grass lawns
and belts in the pleasure grounds, ETC..
may also be frequently much improved
by the application of SCOT or mixture of
SCOT, wood ashes. and fine soil. This APP
pears to have the effect of encouraging
the growth of the finer sorts OF grasses,
and, as it were, assist them to overcome
and finally extirpate the coarse kinds. to-
gether with weeds and moss. There are,
no doubt, many other purposes to which
SCOT may be usetully applied. but enough
may have been already said to prove its
value in the garden"