Ashes for Fruit Trees. 



696. SxR, — I have a large heap of ashes, probably fifty loads, which has been left 

 from making potash. It has lain some thirty years, but is still so strong that grass does 

 not grow npon it. Would it pay to haul it upon an apple orchard, and [if so, what quan 

 tity per acre? Please answer through The Horticdltukist. 



A Subscriber, Pickering. 



Leached ashes, such as our correspondent speaks of, has lost its most 

 important element, namely, potash, which is one of the most important fertilizers 

 for the fruit orchard. Still there is probably a small portion of this element yet 

 remaining, and a certain amount of lime also, which would be of some benefit 

 as a fertilizer. If the land is stiff upon which it is proposed to put these 

 leached ashes, the mechanical effect will be particularly beneficial. In any case 

 we believe it will pay our correspondent to cart these ashes and apply them to 

 his orchard. It was a great mistake to allow them to remain thirty years without 

 being applied to the land. Few of our Canadian gardeners seem to appreciate 

 the excellent results which are obtained by a liberal application of wood ashes 

 to the land for almost any crop. As to quantity, we usually advise about fifty 

 bushels per acre of unleached ashes. Two or three times that quantity of these 

 Jeached ashes would do no harm. 



Irrigation. 



69 v. Sir, — 1 notice that you answer questions free. I have a large garden here of 

 light sandy soil in some parts that will continually dry up at every season in spite oij>\l 

 kinds of manure put upon it. I am growing a good many small fruits and am putting in 

 waterworks and hose. Last season and this 1 am giving the land a heavy dressing of hard- 

 wood sawdust which was used as bedding for chickens, cow and horse, and had been kept 

 under covar. I have also put on well-rotted manure for seven years continuously. I know 

 that the want of water is the great difficulty. A part of the land is low and flat and is 

 under-drained. The subsoil is white clay fifteen inches below the surface. Now I want to 

 irrigate the sandy part where the stuff all wilts in August. 



F. W. Plante, Wiarfon. 



It would be a great boon to fruit growers if a simple system of irrigation 

 'Could be planned which would be efficient and not too expensive. We will be 

 :glad to receive the experience of any of our readers under this heading. 



Dahlias. 



698. Sir, — During the last two summers my dahlias have been very unprofitable, 

 yielding very few blooms. The buds would turn black, die and drop off. On a dozen extra 

 strong plants I had not twenty good blooms. Can you give the cause and suggest a remedy ? 



W. A. Brownlee, Mouiit Forest, Ont. 



Reply by Webster Bros., Florists, Hamilton, Ont. 



We have found that the dahlia buds fail most upon plants that are exposed 



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