142 STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



considerable proportion, but ivood ashes, in which they mostly 

 exist in large quantities, will furnish them more freely and with 

 more speedy effect ; as from the large proportion of animal matter 

 in yard manure too much succulent groictli, or even surfeit, would 

 result from its abundant and exclusive application, an evil in noioise 

 resulting from the use of ashes. Leached, as well as unleached 

 ashes, may indeed be applied with great advantage to nearly all 

 fruit trees. 



In the first volume of the Horticulturist, we have an interesting 

 experiment in the renovation of two old pear trees, at the instance 

 of and as advised by Mr. Downing. These trees, which had for 

 years produced only cracked, blighted, worthless fruit, were re- 

 stored to health and fruitfulness, bearing smooth and fair crops. 

 The change was effected by digging, three feet distant from the 

 tree, a circular trench twenty inches deep, filling it with fresh soil 

 and turf, and intermingling two bushels of scoria from a black- 

 smith's shop, two bushels of charcoal and two pounds of potash. 

 The charcoal and potash were no doubt the active agents in effect- 

 ing the change. Potash in restoring to the soil that agent so in- 

 dispensable to vegetable life, charcoal absorbing and holding in its 

 cells, in a state of high condensation, ninety times its bulk of 

 ammoniacal gas and thirty-five times its volume of carbonic acid 

 gas, forming a medium in which is stored up these rich organic, 

 volatile elements, which are liberated by moisture from time to 

 time, as they may be wanted for trees and plants. Charcoal is one 

 of the most valuable agents, not only as a deodorizer, but as an 

 absorbent of ammonia and carbonic acid gas, and should be mixed 

 with all volatile manure to arrest the escape of these highly valu- 

 able elements. I have used it for several years in connection with 

 poudrette, ashes, lime, muck, &c., as an application to fruit trees, 

 also to plants, vines and vegetables. I consider it one of my best 

 manures. * * * 



One of the chief offices peculiar to all alkalies may he to prepare 

 the food of plants. We know how important silica is to vegetable 

 growth, and potash and soda both perform the office of carrying a 

 soluble silicate whenever wanted. 



There must be a reason why fruit trees cease to bear, and decay 

 long before their natural period. As far as we can judge from all 

 the facts, the cause is the absence of proper food, and if the facts 

 of chemistry teach us anything, this defect has its source in a de- 

 ficiency of alkaline salts in the soil, and may be corrected by sup- 



