94 STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



surface in autumn or winter. A compost of muck and gas-lime is not expen- 

 sive. In answer to question, has used over 2,000 bushels of gas-lime, at the 

 rate of 120 bushels to the acre. Has put on four loads to the acre, fresh from 

 gas house, around the apple trees in winter without injury. He composts gas- 

 lime with muck, but not with barn-yard manure. Lime is not in itself a 

 manure, but decomposes fertilizing substances locked up in the soil. The sul- 

 phur is separated from the lime by the frosts of winter so as to do no injury. 

 If he could obtain neither muck nor gas-lime, would apply pilaster, ashes and 

 lime. Apples would probably go on bearing indefinitely if we removed no 

 fruit. His orchard that has not been plowed in eighteen years, received some- 

 thing every winter, — muck, ashes, lime, etc. Does not want to take off the 

 grass, but would mow it and let it rot. 



Mr. Smith of Syracuse thought that the use of gas-lime was worse than 

 useless. He wouldn't have it on his place. The use of just such fertilizers 

 was of no good whatever. Theory wouldn't fertilize the soil. If the trees were 

 given the benefit of the products of the soil, whether grass or anything else, 

 they would be all right. 



Dr. Sylvester — My neighbors say that I always have fruit, while they fail on 

 similar soil. 



Mr. Eoot thought the case depended altogether on the nature of the soil. 

 A stiff clayey soil wanted stirring up, and a light sandy soil did not require it. 



Mr. Lay said he found the best results arising by allowing hogs to run in 

 the orchard. 



In response to a question, Mr. Barry said that coal ashes were very good for 

 clayey soil, and also recommended their use on other kinds of lands. 



Mr. Crane has made experiments with coal ashes and manure, and had seen 

 double the results from their use. 



EVEXT^^G SESSION". 



Vice-President H. E. Hooker in the chair. 



The discussion of the first question was resumed. Hugh T. Brooks of 

 Wyoming said that fertilizing orchards is a pressing necessity. Most of our 

 orchards are half starved, and in consequence not half so productive as they 

 might be. People had better think twice before they plant large orchards, 

 unless they are sure of a large supply of manure. He would not speak of pear 

 trees, but apples require more manure than is generally supposed. He made a 

 hog-pen near an apple-tree forty years old, and in ten or fifteen years it had 

 doubled its size and productiveness. God makes a better soil than you can. A 

 virgin soil is best, and should not be required to produce other crops if planted 

 to orchard. The tree and the fruit take from the soil a great variety of ele- 

 ments, among which are potash, lime, and the phosphates: these should be 

 supplied. About thirty per cent of the leaf of the aj)ple-tree is lime, which 

 should be supplied. Lime is serviceable for the necessary material it furnishes, 

 and as a corrective of the noxious matter in the soil, and also to quicken and 

 render available inert material. Being available in unlimited quantities, and 

 cheap (which can not be said of most manures), we ought to use it very largely 

 on all soils that require it, and most soils do require it. Mulching trees with 

 weeds, coarse manure, muck, sawdust, shavings, coarse grass, and about every- 

 thing else, furnishes some good material to the tree, protects from drouth, and 



