INDIANA llORTICULTUKAL SOCIETY. 399 



and eat tlie apples as fast as tliey fall, and will watch for them, and some 

 are wise euougli to take the end of the limb in their mouths and shake it 

 so that the apples will fall. 



A Member: And you like wood ashes for fertilizer? 



Mr. Collingwood: Wood ashes is the best fertilizer you can get. You 

 must remember that wood ashes Avill not supply any nitrogen at all, and 

 must handle them accordingly. This is a valuable way to fertilize, but it 

 is very hard to get the genuine wood ashes. 



A Member: How much are the genuine wood ashes worth? 



Mv. CoUingwood: You have run up against a hard proposition now. 

 It is said that every pound of nitrogen is worth sixteen cents, potash five 

 cents, phosphoric acid four and one-half cents. This is the basis on which 

 they handle these in New York City. In Italy nitrogen is only worth one 

 cent a pound. We figure that there would be one hundred pounds of 

 potash, or $5; thirty-six pounds of phosphoric acid in a ton of potash, 

 $1.(J0; six hundred pounds of lime, about $S total value per ton. But I 

 could not tell you just what a ton Avould cost you. 



A Member: What is the value of wood and coal ashes, two-thirds 

 wood and one-third coal? 



Mr. CoUingwood: I did not plan to answer any questions on this line, 

 as I am no chemist at all, but on the basis you have named, I would say 

 a ton of such ashes would be worth not quite five dollars. There is a 

 small amount of lime in coal ashes, but there is nothing else of value. 



A Member: Are coal ashes of any value? 



Mr. CoUingwood: They are not valuable for fruit at all. I sometimes 

 use them to put around currant bushes, and pack them down hard. They 

 are better for clay ground than for other soils. 



A Member: About what time in the year do you remove the mulch 

 from around your trees? 



Mr. CoUingwood: Generally about the middle of April, but it depends 

 upon the season somewhat. 



A Member: Is sawdust good to put around trees? 



Mr. CoUingwood: I would put i-otton sawdust around the trees. But 

 1 would not use fresh sawdust. The fresh sawdust as it comes from the 

 mill contains a turpentine acid which is bad for the soil. Sawdust that 

 has been used as bedding for horses is good. 



