336 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



the air. As a result of this, soil inoculation 

 is often resorted to. This simply consists 

 of taking" soil where these plants are found 

 to grow luxuriantly, and have an abundance 

 of the tubercles above referred to, and sow- 

 ing the same on a new area, a few handfuls 

 of soil often sufficing for an acre of ground. 

 The exact physiological process gone 

 through with by plants in securing this free 

 nitrogen is not definitely known. 



Phosphorus. — Phosphoric acid is applied 

 to the soil as a direct fertilizer in the form 

 of superphosphates, bone compounds, etc. 

 Dissolved South Carolina rock is a common 

 commercial form of this manure. Usually, 

 however, if soils are well cared for this ele- 

 ment will not be lacking. 



Potash. — Potash may be secured in the 

 form of muriate of potash, which is proba- 

 bly the most reliable. Kainit or German 

 potash salts and wood ashes are other forms 

 of this commercial fertilizer, for the bearing 

 orchard at least. Five hundred to seven 

 hundred pounds of muriate of potash, or 



forty or fifty bushels of wood ashes, is a 

 dressing per acre for orchards. 



The following formula is suggested : 



Ground bone loo pounds. 



Acid phosphate loo pounds. 



Muriate of potash loo pounds. 



Nitrate of soda 125 pounds. 



This amount per acre applied in the spring- 

 time and either plowed under or disced into 

 the soil will be found sufficient for those 

 orchards bearing annual crops of fruit. The 

 above formula, however, should be supple- 

 mented by special fertilizers or otherwise 

 varied to suit any particular orchard whose 

 soil conditions are peculiar to itself. 



It should be understood that this discus- 

 sion does not encourage the use of commer- 

 cial fertilizers. There are instances, how- 

 ever, where these must be resorted to. 

 Orchardists should largely confine them- 

 selves to cultivation and green man- 

 uring for supplying the necessary plant 

 foods. — From Bulletin 55, Illinois Agric'l 

 Exp'l S. 



RULES FOR JUDGING FRUITS, WITH A SCALE OF POINTS. 



GENERAL RULES. 



1st. In all cases the judges are to be 

 governed by the letter and spirit of the 

 schedule under which exhibitors have made 

 their entries, the g'eneral appearance of the 

 fruit, care in its selection, and taste dis- 

 played in arrangement or grouping, each 

 entry being distinctly separate from the 

 rest. These are all elements of the highest 

 importance, and should receive appropriate 

 consideration by the committee. 



2nd. In every group, whether the single 

 plates, threes, fives, tens or larger collec- 

 tions of fruit, there should never be more 

 than one plate of any variety in any one 

 group. List of names of varieties contri- 

 buted shall accompany each group, and must 



be attached to the entry card, and have a 

 corresponding number and designation, with 

 or without exhibitor's name, according to 

 rule. 



3rd. The same plates of fruit cannot com- 

 pete for different prizes, though the several 

 entries for the best ten, five or other num- 

 bers, and the best plate, may embrace the 

 same varieties, but not the same plates of 

 specimens ; in each case they must be dupli- 

 cates, and in sweepstakes they will count 

 a single variety. 



4th. When the schedule prescribes the 

 number of each kind, usually three or five, 

 to be placed on exhibition, not less than the 

 exact number must be presented. 



5th. In general collections of fruits by 



