64 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



in the air that the grower has not to trouble 

 himself about supplying them by means of 

 manuring; in fact, only the following four 

 sul)stances need come into question: nitro- 

 gen, potash, phosphoric acid, and lime. 

 These substances cannot be supplied to and 

 taken up by the plants in their elementairy 

 forms, but have to be applied in combina- 

 tion with other substances. 



Nitrate of soda, containing 15 to 16 per 

 cent, of easily soluble and available nitrogen 

 in the form of nitric acid, is very suitable 

 for the manuring of fruit trees. It is more 

 completely used up when applied to flruit 

 trees than when used for ordinary crops, 

 as that part of the roots of fruit trees which 

 o-o deeper into the soil are able to take up 

 anv part of the nitrate of soda which the 

 rain may wash deep into the soil, and which, 

 in the case of ordinary crops, would be 

 wasted, having gone beyond reach of the 

 roots. 



Superphosphate contains 12 to 20 per 

 cent, of wated-soluble phosphoric acid. The 

 phosphoric acid in this manure is soluble 



in water, its action therefore rapid ; but on 

 the other hand thcjre is little or no subse- 

 quent benefit. On soils deficient in lime 

 the full effect cannot be obtained from the 

 use of superphosphate, as on these soils the 

 soluble phosphoric acid is converted into 

 the insoluble phosphates of iron and 

 alumina, the phosphoric acid of which can- 

 not be made use of by the plants, but super- 

 phosphate can be employed in cases where 

 the phosphoric acid is required to act quickly, 

 and where no prolonged action is expected. 

 Kainit, containing 12 per cent, potash, is 

 not to be recommended for the manuring of 

 fruit trees on ordinary and heavier soils ; 

 it should only be used on light, dry, sandy 

 soils, and must then be applied in the au- 

 tumn. Aluriate of potash and sulphate of 

 potash both contain about 50 per cent, of 

 potash. Muriate of potash can be specially 

 recommended for supplying the potash re- 

 quirements of fruit trees on soils faitrly rich 

 in Hme, whereas sulphate of potash is to be 

 preferred for soils where the lime is present 

 in small quantities only. 



The Time to Apply the Wash 



PROF W. LOCHHE-\D, 0. A. C, GUELPH. 



Would you kindly let me know what time of 

 the year has been shown to be the most satis- 

 factory for the application of the lime -sulphur 

 caustic wash. I understand, of course, that its 

 primary purpose is to clean the bark, but is it 

 also good as a fungicide ? — (J. Robertson, 

 Chateauguay Basin, Que. 



As the result of experiments carried on 

 for the past two years, when applications 

 were made at different periods during the 

 dormant season, it was pretty well proven 

 that it is not safe to apply the lime-sulphur 

 mixture any time before the middle of Janu- 

 ary. Trees treated in December last year 

 were badly hurt by the application, while 

 trees in the same row and same block treated 

 in late winter suffered not at all. It is 

 pretty well conceded that the best time to 

 apply the lime-sulphur caustic mixture is in 



the spring while the limbs are still dormant, 

 just before the buds unfold. 



There seems to be no doubt that this mix- 

 ture is also an excellent fungicide. It ap- 

 pears to kill many of the winter spores which 

 would otherwise mature and spread the 

 disease. Regarding its value as a check to 

 the " spot " on the Fameuse, I am of the 

 opinion that an application of this mixture 

 will very materially check the disease. It 

 is likely true that two or three additional 

 sprayings with Bordeaux will be necessary 

 to check the spot completely. A spraying 

 given in early spring, while the trees are 

 still dormant, will have no effect in protect- 

 ing the leaves of the trees later on in the 

 summer from infection by spores which are 

 blown to those leaves. Subsequent spray- 

 ings with Bordeaux are, therefore, neces- 

 sary. 



