Читать книгу Make Your Garden Feed You - E. Brown T. - Страница 37

Artificial manures can be divided into two classes. Some of them are slow-acting and this necessitates their being dug into the soil in the autumn or winter, while others are quick-acting and these are applied during the growing period.

Among the slow-acting chemicals basic slag, steamed bone-meal, and bone-meal provide phosphates, and kainit and sulphate of potash supply potash. These chemicals should be scattered over the surface of the soil after digging is completed and then pricked in with a fork so that they are mixed with the top two or three inches of soil.

Of the. quick-acting artificials, superphosphate of lime supplies phosphates, sulphate of ammonia and nitrate of soda are nitrogenous foods, and guano is a good fertiliser.

The rate at which these chemicals should be applied and the crops for which they are most suitable, together with general mixtures which can be prepared at home, are detailed later under the various crop headings.