dcarch:
"1. Which is more effective (better)? fish or fish emulsion?"
I expect that whole fish has a composition similar
to fish meal (dried, ground fish), perhaps with
extra trace elements, more calcium, etc. You can
probably look at the documentation on a bag of fish
meal at a feed store or farm supply and know about
what to expect from whole fish. The nutrients in fish
emulsion are probably available to plants sooner
(similar to getting faster compost from more finely
ground organic matter) than nutrients from fish
meal or whole fish, but whole fish has a more
balanced N-P-K supply (although some fish meal
products seem to be very low in Potassium, even
if they have sufficient nitrogen and phosphorus
to make a good fertilizer).
"2. How much fish should I throw in the hole,
One lb? two lbs?"
That would perhaps depend on how rich your
soil is before adding any fish product. You
probably want to do this by volume rather
than by the pound (how many pounds a given
volume of fish weighs depends on how long it
has been out of water). Say, a 2-lb coffee can
full per plant? Half full?
One could experiment with herring by the dozen
to get a better idea.
"3. Can you make your own emulsion?"
GW has a guide for this:
http://faq.gardenweb.com/faq/lists/o...041031662.html
Most guides seem to recommend composting
it to make your own fish emulsion (probably
makes the odor more bearable after it has been
in a container awhile).