54: THE APPLE. 



site to success that the top be shortened back, to correspond with the 

 diminished root. One reason for objecting to the shortening-in, is, 

 that it has u tendency to start the top of the tree too thick, and we 

 prefer with the apple to thin out, rather than increase the number of 

 branches. 



The mode of planting has been written on a previous page. 



The distance apart, for an apple orchard, depends very much on 

 the soil and the variety — rich deep soils requiring a greater distance 

 than shallow ones of inferior quality. And of varieties, such as the 

 Harvest, American Fearmain, Lady Apple, and other stocky or up- 

 right growing sorts, twenty-five feet apart would be sufficient; while 

 the Baldwin, Gravenstein, Sweet Bough, &c., or those of rapid broad 

 growth, would need, on rich soil, forty feet. 



Soil and 3fanures. Of the soil, it is impossible to designate any 

 one that will suit all varieties ; we therefore, in our text descriptive 

 designate the principal character of the soil suited to each. " All 

 deciduous trees require a considerable proportion of potash for the 

 elaboration of their juices in the leaves, and are prosperous, or other- 

 wise, in proportion to the supply of that substance in the soil. Liebig 

 b^s shown that the acids generated in plants are ahvays in union 

 with alkaline or earthy bases, and cannot be produced without their 

 presence. * * * Now, the apple tree during its development, pro- 

 duces a great quantity of acid ; and therefore in a corresponding de- 

 gree, requires alkaline, and probably, earthy bases, as an indispensa- 

 ble condition to the existence of fruit." 



" It cannot be denied that ammonia, and also the humus of decay- 

 ing dung, must have some influence on the growth of the tree in 

 such soils, and also in the development of the fruit ; but it is most 

 certain, at the same time, that these alone would be inefficient for 

 the production of the fruit without the co-operation of the alkaline 

 bases. The size, and perhaps the flavor of the fruit may be some- 

 what affected by the organic part of the manure, but its very exis- 

 tence depends upon the presence in the soil of a sufficient quantity 

 of those inorganic or mineral substances which are indispensable to 

 the formation of acids." 



"The analysis of the apple (fruit) shows in 100 lbs. of ashes, de- 

 prived of carbonic acid, about 13 lbs. of phosphoric acid, 7 lbs. of 

 sulphuric acid, 38 lbs., of potash, and 25 lbs. of soda ; these four 

 bodies forming about 83 per cent, of the whole ash :" while analysis 

 of the ash of the wood exhibits about 16 per cent, of potash, 19 of 

 lime, and 17 of phosphate of lime; and in the ash of the bark, about 

 5 per cent, of potash, 50 per cent of lime, and 3 of phosphate of 

 lime. Another analysis gives 45 per cent, of lime in the ash of the 

 wood. From these it is apparent that on most of our Western soils, 

 application of lime and potash will be found requisite to the produc- 

 tion of healthy wood and fruit. Upon much of the heavily timbered 



