MANURES FOR THE QUINCE. 39 
Accepting the theory of the chemists, that ‘‘ somehow 
or other plants take nitrogen from the air,” it is probable 
that they take it in the form of ammonia, and not as 
free nitrogen. But free or combined, it is evident from 
experience that most soils will be improved by the appli- 
cation of a quantity beyond all that is supplied from the 
air. ‘The fact that the leaves of plants absorb gases should 
convince us that they may take nitrogen, either free or 
combined, though it does not combine very readily with 
other substances. Lawes and Gilbert, from experiments 
conducted wnder glass, concluded that plants could not 
take up the free nitrogen of the air. Professor Atwood, 
from experiments conducted im the open avr, arrived at 
the opposite conclusion. 
The supply of phosphoric acid from ground bones is 
never out of place in the quince orchard; and if the 
bones are first treated with sulphuric acid, their action 
will be more speedy. Bones in lye, or hard wool ashes 
kept wet for a very long time, will become useful without 
grinding, as they soften and crumble. 
The quince is a great feeder, and has the faculty of 
using all kinds of manures. When I plant trees I fill 
the large holes with rich earth. The chip dirt of the 
wood pile mixed with the top soil of the hole is good. 
The sarface soil of the poultry-yard to the depth of two 
or three inches is excellent. Road wash from the gutters 
of the highway does well; and better still are the glean- 
ings of the street gutters of the village. Trees well set in 
these rich earths grow well to a bearing age, whea they 
should be annually supplied with plenty of good manure. 
Their annual growth is a safe guide to needed treatment. 
If the shoots grow less than a foot every year, they need 
feeding or pruning, and probably both. Manure may 
be applied to the trees by all the usual methods at 
any season of the year, but better in the fall and spring 
than late in summer. Old and feeble trees have been 
