THE PHILOSOPHY OF MANURING ORCHARDS. 459 



provided for by the common system of manuring orchards. Hence, 

 in certain soils, where a part or all of these elements naturally exist, 

 we see both the finest fruit and extraordinary productiveness in the 

 orchards. In other soils, well suited perhaps for many other crops, 

 orchards languish and are found unprofitable. 



More than this, Dr. EMMONS has pointed out what is perhaps 

 known to few of our readers, that these inorganic substances form, 

 as it were, the skeleton or bones of all vegetables as they do more 

 tangibly in animals. The bones of animals are lime in the form 

 of phosphate and carbonate and the frailer net-work skeleton of 

 trunk, leaves and fibres in plants, is formed of precisely the same 

 substance. The bark, the veins and nerves of the leaves, the skin 

 of fruit, are ail formed upon a framework of this organized salt of 

 lime, which, in the growth of the plant, is taken up from the soil, 

 and circulates freely to the outer extremities of the tree or plant in 

 all directions. 



As these elements, which we have named as forming so large a 

 part of the ashes of plants, are found in animal manures, the latter 

 are quite sufficient in soils where they are not naturally deficient. 

 But, on the other hand, where the soil is wanting in lime, potash 

 and phosphate of lime, common manures will not and do not an- 

 swer the purpose. Experience has abundantly proved the latter po- 

 sition ; and science has at length pointed out the cause of the 

 failure. 



The remedy is simple enough. Lime, potash and bones (which 

 latter abound in the phosphate) are cheap materials, easily obtained 

 in any part of the country. If they are not at hand, common 

 wood ashes, which contains all of them, is an easy substitute, and 

 one which may be used in much larger quantities than it is com- 

 monly applied, with the most decided benefit to all fruit-trees. 



The more scientific cultivator of fruit will not fail, however, to 

 observe that there is a very marked difference in the proportion of 

 these inorganic matters in the ashes of the trees under our nctice. 

 Thus, potash and phosphate of lime enter much more largely pto 

 the composition of the pear than they do in that of the apple tree ; 

 while lime is much more abundant in the apple than in the pear ; 

 the ashes of the bark of the apple-tree being more than half lime. 



