. The Canadian horticulturist. Fruit Growers' Association of Ontario; Fruit-culture. The Canadian Horticulturist. 275 SEA-WEED AS A FERTILIZER. Sir,—Will you please tell me if sea-weed is a good fertilizer, and, if so, whether for fruit or vegetables ? Sea-weed, Vancouver, B. C. Reply by F T. Shutt, , Chemist, Dominion Experimental Farms, EA-WEED is essentially a potassic manure, though in a certain ]) degree it may be termed a "complete fertilizer," viz.: one that supplies the three more important constituents of plant growth—nitrogen, phosphoric acid and potash. An ana
. The Canadian horticulturist. Fruit Growers' Association of Ontario; Fruit-culture. The Canadian Horticulturist. 275 SEA-WEED AS A FERTILIZER. Sir,—Will you please tell me if sea-weed is a good fertilizer, and, if so, whether for fruit or vegetables ? Sea-weed, Vancouver, B. C. Reply by F T. Shutt, , Chemist, Dominion Experimental Farms, EA-WEED is essentially a potassic manure, though in a certain ]) degree it may be termed a "complete fertilizer," viz.: one that supplies the three more important constituents of plant growth—nitrogen, phosphoric acid and potash. An analysis recently made of a sample of sea-weed (Fucus furcatus) obtained from the Atlantic coast, afforded me the following figures :— Analysis of fresh Sea-weed. Water . Organic matter, containing nitrogen Ash or mineral matter, containing potash and phos- phoric acid Pounds of fertilizing* constituents in one ton of the fresh Sea-weed. Nitrogen pounds Phosphoric acid m Potash n Sea-weed is a valuable manure both for the potash and nitrogen it contains, and for the ease and rapidity with which, by fermentation, this plant-food is con- verted into soluble and available forms. Its ready decomposition in the soil (except in very wet or very dry seasons) is of great advantage, since the sea- weed requires no previous treatment and its results are obtained in the first crop. Its application often improves the tilth of soil by supplying decomposing organic matter (humus) and increasing their absorbtive capacity for moisture. Sea-weed gives best results on an open, porous, sandy, warm soil, and may be applied at the rate of 20-30 tons per acre. For general farm crops it may be supplemented by bone-meal and wood-ashes. It may, of course, be used alone for all purposes (though then there is apt to be a deficiency in phosphoric acid) or with barnyard In a light soil it is a responsive though not a permanent fertilizer, since its readily solub
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