STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 77 



will also be a little lime, iron and magnesia. The mineral food 

 necessary for our Russet will then be a Utile lime, a little magnesia, 

 a little iron and a little sulphuric acid ; and a great deal of phos- 

 phoric acid, soda and potash. 



Now we cannot get rid of such facts in pomology. We cannot 

 raise Russets or any other variety of apple where these elements 

 are deficient in the soil ; we can raise them where they are abund- 

 ant. Schistose soils and well mixed loamy soils, generally abound 

 in them. 



I was struck many years ago at the amount of phosphate of 

 lime in the rocks and soils of this very town of Monmouth, and, 

 it is abundant, but not too much so by any means, in every apple 

 growing section of the State. Furthermore, the rocks which con- 

 tain phosphate of lime, also contain associated with it large quan- 

 tities of soda and potash. The sulphur rocks in this town are 

 easily decomposed by the application of lime, by which the neces- 

 sary sulphuric acid is obtained which combines with the lime and 

 forms gypsum, or plaster of Paris. 



Now there is no theorizing thus far. The relation between the 

 tree and its soil is well understood by intelligent pomologists. In 

 the towns which I have indicated, the fortunate possessor of such 

 a schistose soil hardly realizes the diflSculties under which men 

 labor in other sections in raising an orchard. He hardly finds it 

 necessary to supply his soil with artificial manures to any great 

 extent. They are already in the soil. The intelligent practical 

 man will supply plaster of Paris for his sulphuric acid and lime ; 

 bones, guano and superphosphate of lime for his phosphorus ; 

 wood ashes for potash, and refuse brine, seaweed or common salt 

 for soda. The farmer who can procure these substances at the 

 cheapest rate and in the right proportions, will succeed not only 

 in furnishing the right materials for a thrifty orchard, but for 

 almost any other crop. 



Composition of the Apple Tree. 

 In presenting before you the elements necessary to produce an 

 apple, I indicated all the essential elements necessary to be pro- 

 vided in some way for the production of a handsome Russet ; but, 

 if I should stop here, I should lead you into a grave mistake. 

 The proportion of each element in the growth of an apple is quite 

 different from that of the tree which produces it. 



