322 The Canadian Horticulturist. 



COMPOSITION OF THE APPLE. 



|ROF. F. T. Shutt, Chemist of the Central Experimental Farm, 

 Ottawa, has issued his report for 1894. In addition to other inter- 

 esting points, he has given the chemical constituents of the apple. 

 Taking an average of four varieties, viz.: Duchess, Wealthy, Fameuse 

 and Spy, he gives the following result : — ^ Water 86 + , organic mat- 

 ter 12 -f, ash .28, nitrogen .0428. 



In the same varieties, the average percentage of important con- 

 stituents of the ash was : — Phosphoric acid 8 + , potash 55 +, soda 

 2 + , oxide of iron i + , lime 4 + , magnesia 4 -1- . 



It is noticeable that potash is the chief component of the ash, 

 being over half, and about six times the phosphoric acid ; but in the apple leaves 

 it is only double. The ash of the fruit is chiefly found in the seeds and walls 

 of the ovary, comparatively little being found in the flesh. Evidently, there- 

 fore, the small apples extract as much fertility from the soil, and draw upon the 

 strength of the tree about as much as the large ones. 



For the supply of nitrogen. Prof. Shutt recommends barnyard manure, or 

 the turning over of some leguminous crop, for in addition they furnish humus, 

 which is of great mechanical benefit. Besides this, he considers that as the 

 period of growth and fruit development in the apple is comparatively long, 

 organic manures in most instances will probable give better returns than those 

 containing more soluble forms of nitrogen, such as nitrate of soda, or sulphate 

 of ammonia. For the potash, he commends wood ashes, which, in most parts 

 of Canada, afford the cheapest form in which to purchase this constituent, 

 besides being in a condition rendering it easily available. If wood ashes are 

 not easily obtainable, kainit and muriate of potash may be substituted. For 

 the phosphoric acid, bone meal and superphosphate may be used. Bone meal 

 contains 2 or 3 per cent, of nitrogen, in addition to the phosphoric acid, but 

 requires a great length of time in the ground to give up its constituents ; its 

 eff"ects last longer. P'or this reason it is often advocated for orchard fertilization. 



Chpysanthemum Culture. — It should be borne in mind, that though 

 plants have to be pinched back a time or two to render the plants bushy, every 

 successive crop of shoots will be weaker than their predecessors. If the pinch- 

 ing back is done after mid summer, only weak shoots are produced, and this 

 means weak flowers. Another point to be cared for is to preserve the old leaves 

 as long as possible. When the plant loses its leaves early, the flowers are liable 

 to be particularly small. — Meehans' Monthly for June. 



