33 The Canadian Horticulturist. 



LIME FOR HEAVY LAND. 



Sir, — I am much in need of information with regard to fertilizing my land. It is a 

 yellow loam with clay bottom and hard clay surface in spots. It is mostly in fruit of all 

 kinds, but more especially grapes. Will lime be beneficial ? If so, how many bushels to 

 the acre? H. Goodwillie, Wetland, Ont. 



It is quite possible that on soils such as that described by our correspondent, 



lime might prove beneficial, but it should not be continued unless the land is at 



the same time heavily dressed with barnyard manure. Lime has the effect of 



rendering the other fertilizing elements in the soil available about the roots of 



the plants, unlocking them, as it were, from its grip. In consequence of this 



comes the old couplet, 



" The use of lime without manure, 

 Will surely make the farmer poor." 



The action of lime upon the heavy clay is to make it warmer, mellower, and of 

 better tilth, and this good effect is often observable for years. With regard to 

 the quantity that may be applied to the acre, it may be observed that lime is less 

 freely applied than in former years. In the Old Country it was at one time 

 customary to applv six to eight tons to the acre on heavy soils, but now-a-days 

 the opinion prevails that one or two tons to the acre, applied once in six or 

 eight years, is an abundance. There is a probability that loam, such as our 

 correspondent describes, is not rich enough to be benefited by lime alone, and 

 that barnyard manure would be the best fertilizer. 



TREATMENT OF THE SEEDS OF THE WHITE ASH. 



Sir, — How should I treat White Ash seeds previous to planting, and when should they 

 be planted ? O. F. Birchard, Kingscourt, Ont. 



In order to have the best success, the seeds of the ash tree should be 

 planted in the fall, as, if left until spring and then planted dry, they will be 

 almost sure to fail. The seeds, too, ought to be collected fresh from the trees 

 by some one who is acquainted with them, because if purchased from seedsmen 

 they may have been kept too long and thus have lost their vitality. 



The White Ash is not very productive of seeds, and one who is not well 

 acquainted with their distinguishing characteristics might mistake the seeds of 

 the Green Ash for them. The seed of the White Ash is round, without margin, 

 the wing attached to the apex, while in the Green Ash the wing is continued as 

 a margin nearly to the base of the seed, which is acute. The seed of the former 

 ripens about the first of October, and, if kept from becoming dry and planted in 

 the autumn, they will vegetate with certainty. They should be covered very 

 thinly with eaith, and, to prevent washing by heavy rains, should have a mulch' 

 of leaves or straw, which should be taken off in the spring. If kept until spring, 

 the seeds should be mixed with damp sand to prevent them from drying. 



