58 THE APPLE. 



back to correspond with the diminished root. One reason for ob- 

 jecting to the shortening in, is, that it has a 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 how to plant 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 dis- 

 tance than those of shallow depth, and inferior quality. And of 

 varieties, such as the Harvest, American Pearmain, Lady Ap- 

 ple and other stocky or upright 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 Manures. 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 

 otherwise, in proportion to plentiful or scanty supply of that sub- 

 stance in the soil. Liebig has shown that the acids generated in 

 plants are always in union with alkaline or earthy bases, and cannot 

 be produced without their presence. * * * Now, the apple tree du- 

 ring its development, produces a great quantity of acid ; and there- 

 fore in a corresponding degree, requires alkaline, and probably, 

 earthy bases alone, as an indispensable 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 perfectly ineffi- 

 cient 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 

 somewhat affected by the organic part of the manure, but its very 

 existence depends upon the presence in the soil of a sufficient quan- 

 tity of those inorganic or mineral substances which are indispensable 

 to the formation of acids." 



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

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

 sulphuric acid, 38 Ibs. of potash, and 25 Ibs. 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 



