STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 91 



tree will learn to lean on him as the child looks to the parent for 

 protection and sympathy ; and it will return to him a grateful and 

 exceeding great reward. His children shall disport themselves 

 under the shadow of its branches, and find health and solace in its 

 fruit; and his children's children to the fourth generation, when, 

 perchance, no other monument shall remain to declare the story 

 of his life. 



W. P. Atherton of Hallowell. In order to ascertain what fertilizing 

 agents are best adapted to orchard culture, and more particularly 

 the cultivation of the apple orchard, it will be necessary not only to 

 study the nature of our soils, but also of the tree and fruit. A great 

 deal may be learned by observation and experience ; but experience, 

 as too many of us are well aware, is a slow and expensive teacher. 

 Something may also be gained by following the practice of those 

 who have had long years of experience, but it is no certain guide, 

 for differences of location and soil must be taken into account, and 

 what is genuine nourishment for an orchard here may not be what 

 is desirable elsewhere. Locality and character of soil cannot be 

 discussed here, but the composition of the apple tree and fruit can 

 be taken into consideration, and will serve in some measure as a 

 guide in determining what manurial agents are best adapted to 

 the orchard. 



In the Appendix to Johnson's "How Crops Grow," there is a 

 table containing analyses of the qoraposition of the ashes of vari- 

 ous plants and trees, by Prof. Emil Wolff, of the Royal Academy 

 of Agriculture, at Hohenheim, Wurtemburg. Among these is the 

 apple tree, the analysis of which shows a large proportion of pot- 

 ash, exceeding that of most of the other trees named, and a very 

 much larger proportion of lime than that of any other tree except 

 the oak, which shows 73 per cent, of lime. 



From these analyses, we find that potash, lime and phosphoric 

 acid enter largely into the composition of the apple tree, both 

 wood and fruit, and hence we infer that these ingredients are 

 necessary to its growth and development, and that when lacking 

 they should be supplied. Ashes, bone-dust and lime are undoubt- 

 edly the best fertilizers for the orchard. A certain amount of 

 animal and vegetable manure is requisite and should be given, 

 but highly concentrated manures, such as guano, night-soil and 

 bog manure, are not generally desirable, or if used at all should 

 be applied in moderate quantities. This is the opinion of Mr. P. 



