STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 51 



The average of thirteen analyses made at the Maine Experiment 

 Station of unleached wood ashes from various sources gave 3.65 

 per cent phosphoric acid, 9.19 per cent potash and 36.48 lime. 

 The highest per cent of phosphoric acid found in any of them was 

 6.05 per cent in the ashes from birch wood and the lowest was 

 0.64 per cent in ashes from spruce wood. 



Nitrogenous manures are found in the market in the form of 

 nitrate of soda, sulphate of ammonia, dried blood, meat scrap, fish 

 scrap, tankage and in many other forms having doubtful value, such 

 as leather meal, and hoof and horn meal. 



Nitrate of soda should contain from 15-16 per cent of nitrogen 

 and sulphate of ammonia from 20-21 per cent. These two manures 

 are readih' soluble in water, and if used in large quantities might 

 prolong the period of growth of wood so that it would not ripen 

 sufficiently to withstand our severe winters. The other nitrogenous 

 manures mentioned would have to undergo decomposition in the soil 

 and in consequence would yield up their nitrogen more slowly and 

 could be used for fruit trees with greater safety. A good article of 

 dried blood ought to contain 11 per cent of nitrogen, and dr^^ fish 

 scrap and tankage from 8-9 per cent of nitrogen with 7 or c< per 

 cent of phosphoric acid. 



Nitrogen from whatever source in commercial manures is the 

 most expensive fefttilizing material, costing twice as much as soluble 

 phosphoric acid and about four or five times as much as insoluble 

 phosphoric acid and four times as much as potash. 



Owing to this fact and that all of the leguminous plants such as 

 the clover, beans, peas etc., act as collectors of nitrogen, it would 

 seem advisable for orchardists who are dependent on commercial 

 manures for their fertilizing material to avoid the necessity of pur- 

 chasing nitrogenous manures by the liberal use of phosphoric acid 

 and potash and the cultivation of red clover in the orchard and feed- 

 ing it off either with sheep or swine. 



On clay loam soils it is the opinion of the writer that it will be 

 found necessary to grow clover, or some other crop, which will leave 

 a large amount of organic matter in the soil, when using commer- 

 cial manures exclusively, if the best results from the use of those 

 manures are to be obtained. 



The organic matter not onl}' furnishes nourishment for bubse- 

 quent crops by its decay but it has a physical effect on the soil simi- 

 lar to stable manure and which cannot be produced by commercial 

 manures alone. 



