THE PHILOSOPHY OF MANURING ORCHARDS. 



301 



manuring orchards. Hence, in certain soils 

 where a part or all of these elements natu- 

 rally exist, we see both the finest fruit and 

 extraordinary productiveness in the or- 

 chards. In other soils, well suited perhaps 

 for many other crops, orchards languish 

 and are found unprofitable. 



More than this, Dr. Emmons has pointed 

 out what is perhaps known to few of our 

 readers, that these inorganic substances 

 form, as it were, the skeleton or bones of 

 all vegetables as they do more tangibly 

 in animals. The bones of animals are 

 lime — in the form of phosphate and carbon- 

 ate — and the frailer net-work skeleton of 

 trunk, leaves and fibres in plants, is formed 

 of precisely the same substance. The bark, 

 the A'^eins and nerves of the leaves, the skin 

 of fruit, are all formed upon a frame-work 

 of this organized salt of lime, which, in the 

 growth of the plant, is taken up from the 

 soil, and circulates freely to the outer ex- 

 tremities of the tree or plant in all direc- 

 tions. 



As these elements, which we have named 



ASH OF TUS APPLE. 



Sap-wood. Bark. 



Potash, 16.1!) 4.930 



Soda, 3.U 3.285 



Chloride of sodium, 0.42 0.540 



Sulphate of lime, 0.05 0.037 



Phosphate of peroicide of iron, 0.80 0.375 



Phosphate of lime, 17. .50 2.425 



Phosphate of magnesia, .20 



Carbonic acid, 29.10 44.8.30 



Lime, 18.63 51.578 



Magnesia, 8.40 0.150 



Silica 0.85 0.200 



Soluble silica, 0.8O 0.400 



Organic mutter, 4.60 2.100 



lOU.OJ 109.450 



COMMON WILD GBAFB VINE. 



Wood. Bark. 



Potash, 20.84 1.77 



Soda, 2 06 27 



Chlorhie, 0.02 0.40 



Sulphuric acid 0.23 trace. 



Phosphate of lime, 15.40 5.04 



Phosphate of peroxide of iron, 1 .20 5.04 



Carbonic acid, 34.^3 32.22 



Lime, 17.33 39.32 



Magnesia, 4.40 0.80 



Silex, 2.80 14.00 



Soluble silica, 0.00 O.SO 



Coal aJid organic matter, 2 . 20 1 . 70 



100.21 100.86 



as forming so large a part of the ashes of 

 plants, are found in animal manures, the 

 latter are quite sufficient in soils where 

 they are not naturally deficient. But, on 

 the other hand, where the soil is wanting 

 in lime, potash, and phosphate of lime, com- 

 mon manures will not and do not answer 

 the purpose. Experience has abundantly 

 proved the latter position ; and science has 

 at length pointed out the cause of the 

 failure. 



The remedy is simple enough. Lime, 

 potash and bones (which latter abound in 

 the phosphate,) are cheap materials, easily 

 obtained in any part of the country. If 

 they are not at hand, common wood ashes, 

 which contains all of them, is an easy sub- 

 stitute, and one which may be used in 

 much larger quantities than it is commonly 

 applied, with the most decided benefit to all 

 fruit trees. 



The more scientific cultivator of fruit will 

 not fail, however, to observe that there is a 

 very marked difference in the proportion of 

 these inorganic matters in the ashes of the 

 trees under our notice. Thus, potash and 

 phosphate of lime enter much more largely 

 into the composition of the pear than they do 

 in that of the apple tree ; while lime is much 

 more abundant in the apple than in the pear; 

 the ashes of the bark of the apple tree 

 being more tha7i half livie. Potash and 

 lime are also found to be the predominant 

 elements of the inorganic structure of the 

 grape vine. 



Hence potash and bone dust will be the 

 principal substances to nourish the struc- 

 ture of the pear tree ; lime, the principal 

 substance for the apple ; and 'potash for the 

 grape vine ; though each of the others are 

 also highly essential. 



Since these salts of lime penetrate to the 

 remotest extremities of the tree ; since, in- 

 deed, they are the foundation upon wliiah 



