58 SPECIAL MANURES. 



the peach, nectarine, and apricot ; for they are stimulated to 

 grow too late in the season, and frost strikes them when the 

 wood is immature. It however happens, in the ordinary 

 practice of the country, that where one peach or apricot tree 

 is injured by too rich a cultivation, more than a hundred 

 suffer by diminished growth from neglect. 



Clayey and light soils in some cases require opposite ma- 

 nagement. The former, for instance, is much benefited by 

 the admixture of chip-dirt, which renders it looser, lighter, 

 and more retentive of moisture. But on light soils the 

 effect is not so beneficial, and is sometimes positively inju- 

 rious.* 



Peaty and spongy soils are particularly injurious to tender 

 fruits. Such soils become very warm by day, and radiate 

 the heat rapidly in clear frosty nights ; hence peaches and 

 apricots generally perish when growing in them, the heat 

 of the sun promoting a rapid succulent growth, which is the 

 more easily destroyed by the succeeding intensity of cold. 



SPECIAL MANURES. 



Besides the more common and universal ingredients of 

 soils, sand and clay, there are others essential to the growth 

 of trees. Among the more important of these are potash, 

 lime, and phosphate of lime. 



Now, whatever earthy ingredients are found in the wood, 

 bark, and fruit of Jrees, must be derived from the soil ; and 

 if the soil in which they are planted does not contain all 

 these ingredients, the trees cannot flourish. It therefore 

 may become important to supply such deficiencies by the 

 application of the particular or specific manure needed. 



But it is not to be expected that, cultivators generally will 

 be able to analyze their variously differing soils, nor to pro- 

 cure it done by a skilful chemist. t The next thing, then, 



* A great deal of misurderstanding has arisen from an indefinite use of terms. 

 We often notice in a region of country where a heavy, baking clay prevails, cer- 

 tain j^pots of ground locally designated as "quite sandy ; and in a sandy region, por- 

 tions which are pointed out as " heavy day." Yet we not unfrequently find that 

 the sandy soil of the clay region actually contains more ciay than the clay soil of the 

 sandy district. The terms, as commonly used, Jire relative ; n.od to dex-ide correct- 

 ly on statements made by others, we are compelled to inquire where the authors of 

 such statements reside, and with what soils they have been familiar. The Lest sim- 

 ple rule for distinguishing, applicable to all localities, is to regard such soils as in 

 any case are found to crack in drouth, as heavy, and those which never crack, as 

 light soils. 



t Considerable difficulty exists in procuring perfect analyses of soils. In examining 

 one of the most fertile soils of Monroe Co., N.Y , Dr. Emmons did not discover even 



