ANALYSIS OF FRUIT. 19 



contains abundance of organic matter with a fair propor- 

 tion of sand and clay, and can therefore be kept in fertility 

 by an occasional dressing of 1J cwts. superphosphate. 



Every ordinary soil % however " worn out " it may be, 

 can do something towards supporting plant life. It does 

 this by virtue of what may be aptly termed its " natural 

 strength." By this is meant the capacity which it has 

 as the resultant of its chemical composition and physical 

 character, previously described, its supply of plant food 

 and moisture, its texture, warmth and so on, for yielding 

 crops of fruit year after year without manure. 



This strength accumulated by natural processes, or im- 

 parted artificially, is like a deposit in the bank, which we 

 can drawn upon slowly or rapidly at will, but which will, 

 sooner or later be exhausted unless new deposits are 

 made. 



CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF FKTJIT AND FRUIT TREES. 



A study of the chemical composition of the wood of 

 various fruit trees, and of the fruit itself, will teach us 

 what is abstracted from the soil by their growth. 



Table showing the percentage composition of the wood 

 of various fruit bearing trees. 



Selected Constituents in the ashes of 100 parts. 



Phosphoric 

 Potash. Lime. Magnesia. Acid. 



Apple. . . 19-2 63-6 7*5 4-9 



Pear . . . 4'2 77'2 o'l 3*8 



Cherry . . 20'8 287 9'2 77 



Easpberry . .14*2 38*2 10'8 23'6 



Walnut . . 11-3 35'9 37 4'1 



Chestnut . . 101 43'6 32 1-5 



The timber of freely growing fruit trees yields when 



