38 Journal of Agriculture, Victoria. [11 Feb., 1918. 



Trees growing on soils deficient in potasli are greatly benefited by 

 an occasional dressing of this ingredient, which also seems to exert a 

 special influence over fruit during its development by improving the 

 quality and making the colour more attractive. 



It has been previously stated that the deep red, friable soils of South 

 Gippsland and Wandin produce large trees, which yield comparatively 

 light crops of poorly coloured apples, while those on the shallow Silurian 

 soils nearer to Melbourne grow only to average size, but return heavier 

 crops of highly coloured fruit. The larger trees denote that the red 

 soil is the richer in plant food, and in order to ascertain why, in the 

 matter of fruit production, it performs in a manner contrary to what 

 miffht be expected, samples typical of both soils were forwarded to Mr. 

 P. Rankin Scott, Chemist for Agriculture, for analysis and report. 



Hereunder is a copy of Mr. Scott's report. Samples Nos. 1 and 2 were 

 of red surface soil and sub-soil from Monbulk, while Nos. 3 and 4 are 

 corresponding samples of Silurian soil from Tunstall. 



"Nos. 1 and 2 from orchard, Monbulk. 

 Nos. 3 and 4 from orchard, Tunstall. 



The samples on analysis were found to contain: — 



On No. 1 soil from Monbulk apple trees gre'w luxuriantly, 



while on No. 3 soil from Tunfitall the growth was not nearly so 



strong, but the yield of fruit was better and the apples more 



highly coloured. The physical chara,cter of these soils was vastly 



different, No. 1 being a nice friable red clay loam, while No. 3 



soil was a light-coloured clay, and on the chemical analysis the 



former would be expected to produce better crops than the latter. 



Other points of difference are, however, worthy of note. I should 



say that No. 1 soil would be more retentive of moisture than 



No'. 3, and consequently the trees would have stronger growth. 



No. 1 soil would also be less likely to pack hard on the surface, 



thus causing increased evaporation, which, of course, tends to 



check growth. The reason for the marked difference in the yield 



and colour of the fruit grown on these soils is largely a question 



of the physical icharacteristics of the soil. No. 1 soil is, however, 



more likely to produce stronger growth of foliage from its high 



content of nitrogen and its loamy nature." 



Although apples cannot be profitably grown on these red soils, they 



are specially adapted to the cultivation of small fruits, and during recent 



years considerable areas in the Monbulk, Wandin, and Emerald districts 



have been planted with raspberries, loganberries, passion fruit, and 



strawberries. 



{To he continued.) 



