THE VALUE OF ASHES, LIME, ETC., FOR FRUIT TREES. 



419 



application of special manures, or compo- 

 nents of soil, by difTerent cultivators within 

 the past two years, by which old varieties, 

 or those not before esteemed, have been 

 improved and restored, is an evidence that 

 food, suited to the wants of the tree, was 

 required in the soil ; and not, that climate 

 had aught to do with its deterioration. 



As lime, or its phosphates, form a com- 

 ponent part of all special manures for fruit 

 trees, I will, as per your request, briefly 

 note some few instances, among many, 

 where it appears beneficial ; and, again, 

 where it does not appear required. To 

 give a complete list of varieties that are af- 

 fected by its presence in the soil, would oc- 

 cupy more room than I will dare presume 

 upon. 



The soil of northeastern Ohio, as a whole, 

 is deficient in lime ; that of northwestern, 

 and southwestern, abounds more or less in 

 it. But it is not always within the reach 

 of roots of trees ; and therefore, as I will 

 state presently, the reason why some varie- 

 ties requiring lime do not succeed in locali- 

 ties, often denominated limestone sections. 



The "Waxen," "Belmont," or "Gate" 

 apple, — for it is known in Ohio by all these, 

 and even more names, — succeeds finely in 

 most of northeastern Ohio. In northwest- 

 ern Ohio it will sometimes be found good ; 

 but is frequently dry rotted at the core, de- 

 ficient in flavor, and often covered with 

 mould or fungus. A similar statement will 

 apply to the central and southwestern part 

 of the state. This is accounied for from 

 the fact, that in many sections of limestone 

 country, while there is abundance of the 

 mineral eighteen inches or two feet below 

 the surface, that portion of soil usually 

 turned up by the plough or spade contains 

 uo lime beyond what may be found in all 

 soils from decomposition of shells, droppings 

 of birds, &c. This fact, too often overlook- 



ed, reconciles the query as to how a variety, 

 which grows and matures perfectly in one 

 place, does not do equally well at a dis- 

 tance, often of not more'than twenty yards. 

 It is simply that, at this distance of only 

 twenty yards, the surface soil is nearer the 

 limestone subsoil, or perhaps is partly in- 

 corporated with it. 



The "Baldwin" apple, so justly cele- 

 brated in the eastern states and in northern 

 New-York, has, in Ohio, been subject to a 

 dr}^, hitter rot, rendering it of only a second 

 or third rate character, equal to "Pennock." 

 Experiments have been tried, on a limited 

 scale the past season, to remedy this by ap- 

 plications to the soil in which the trees 

 grew. In one instance, where the tree 

 stands in sandy soil, the simple application 

 of a liberal dressing of wood ashes has re- 

 sulted in rendering the fruit perfect. In 

 another instance, where the tree stands in 

 a clay loam, which has been well dressed 

 with barn-yard manure, and sown with 

 plaster, and upon which two years since 

 was grown a crop of clover, last season 

 turned under and the land cropped with 

 corn, then sowed to wheat, was this year 

 sown with common salt until the ground 

 was white as far as the branches of the tree 

 extended. The result has been perfect 

 fruit, where, for three previous years, the 

 bitter or dry rot had existed. The "Ro- 

 man Stem," upon sandy soils, without any 

 special applications, produces fruit small, 

 knotted and blotched. By the application 

 of half a bushel of caustic liine, to a tree of 

 about three inches diameter of trunk, the 

 fruit has been rendered perfect. In most 

 parts of what are designated as limestone 

 sections, or where the trees stand in soil in 

 which lime holds a prominent part, the va- 

 riety is counted among the best. 



The " Vandervere" is a variety which I 

 think delights in a rich alluvial soil ; as it 



