APPENDIX. 189 



cords with the statement of Mr. Dosch, an observant horticulturist, as to a 

 noticeable effect on his trees after a treatment with muriate of potash. 



Phosjihoric acid — It will be noted that the fruits mentioned above draw 

 more lightly on this ingredient than do the cereals. On account of the 

 abundant supply it is not at all likely that phosphate fertilizers will be 

 needed to any great extent on prune soils of the northwest. 



Nitrogen — This element is not an ingredient of the ash, but inasmuch as 

 it is one of the most important from the standpoint of fertility it demands 

 some mention. Of the fruits considered, the prune draws most heavily on 

 this element, but much less so than the cereals. On the bottom lands of the 

 Willamette Valley, where the di-ainage conditions are very poor, and the 

 available lime supply quite limited, there will early be a call to replace this 

 element by the use of leguminous crops. Such crops should be grown in 

 winter to good advantage and turned under in the spring, thus saving much 

 plant food that would otherwise be lost through leaching. It is recom- 

 mended also to make a liberal use of lime, which will tend to improve the 

 condition for humifcation by neutralizing the natural acidity of these soils. 

 This also applies to the bench lands, as they are, as a rule, more limited in 

 their lime content than the bottom lands. 



fektilizp:r for prunes. 



In view of what is known relative to the soil conditions of Western Ore- 

 gon, I beg to suggest the following formula as probably being well adapted 

 to the needs of fruits in general, and prunes in particular : 



Per acre. 



Alr-slacked lime 2,000 pounds 



Muriate of potash 400 pounds 



This mixture may be well applied to some leguminous crop which is to be 

 turned under as a green manure to furnish the nitrogen supply. Wood 

 ashes may be substitued for the muriate if they can be obtained in consid- 

 erable quantities at a reasonable price. It would take about one hundred 

 bushels of ashes weighing four thousand five hundred pounds to be equiva- 

 lent to the four hundred pounds of muriate of potash. This application 

 should be sufficient for several years. Fruit trees, being slow growing, ap- 

 propriate plant food slowly, and if it is thought' best to use any phosphate 

 probably nothing would be better than finely ground bone. No mention is 

 made of this material as it is not likely to be needed, except in special 

 cases. It should be borne in mind that no specific rule can be laid down in 

 this matter of fertilzers. as conditions are so variable, but the farmer must 

 keep in mind general principles and use his intelligence in applying them 

 to his conditions. 



THE COMPOSITION OF THE CURED PRUNE. 



Of all the methods for preserving fruit none is of so great importance to 

 the American people as that of fruit evaporation. Of all fruits so presei'ved 

 the prune certainly takes first rank. The reader must not confound the 



