New York Agricultural Experiment Station. 331 



There is one difference which should be noticed when compar- 

 ing the potash which is applied in the ashes with the potash 

 already in the soil, and that is that the potash in the ashes is 

 soluble in water, while that in the soil is largely insoluble in 

 water and is but slowly available to the plant. 



SOME RESULTS FOLLOWING THE APPLICATION OF 

 ASHES IN THE APPLE ORCHARD. 



Although the use of ashes as a fertilizer did not increase the 

 immunity of the apples from the disease, it showed results in some 

 other ways which interest the orchardist. Observations were 

 made on the color and keeping qualities of the fruit and the pro- 

 ductiveness of the trees. The general tendency to more abun- 

 dant and vigorous foliage on trees in the treated sections has 

 already been noticed. 



Color of the Fruit. 



Where the soil was treated with ashes, the color of the fruit 

 was much improved with some varieties in some seasons. In 

 1893 the improvement in the color of the fruit on treated sections 

 was noticeable with all varieties which were represented in treated 

 and untreated sections. The only exception was v/ith one crate of 

 drops from an untreated section which were more highly colored, 

 no doubt because the fruit had been lying on the ground; for it 

 is well known that the color of apples may sometimes be increased 

 by leaving them on the ground exposed to the Light. Even the 

 Roxbury and Golden Russets were smoother and higher colored 

 on treated than on untreated sections in 1893. 



In 1894 the results were not so uniform. On the treated sec- 

 tions Fall Pippins were smoother and fairer than on the untreated 

 sections. Tompkins Kings were more highly colored on the 

 treated sections than on the one tree on untreated soil. Baldwins 

 showed but little difference, except that in a few cases fruit from 

 the untreated trees was more highly colored than on correspond- 

 ing treated trees. The reverse was true of the R. I. Greening, for 



