iTHE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST 



January, 1915 



phoric aoid. The phosphoric acid is 

 chiefly in the form of tri-calcic phosphate, 

 which is insoluble in water ; consequent- 

 ly, the finer the bones are ground the 

 more rapidly the material will come into 

 solution in the soil. Bones are particu- 

 larly valuable for their phosphoric acid, 

 and are usually classed as a phosphatic 

 manure. 



TANKAGE 



Tankage is a nitrogenous product and 

 consists chiefly of dried animal wastes 

 from slaughter-houses. It varies some- 

 what in corhposition since it includes 

 otherwise unsaleable parts of the carcass 

 as bones, flesh, hair, hoof, horn, etc. The 

 keratine substances do not decompo.se 

 readily in the soil, consequently, while 

 tankage may be approximately as rich 

 in nitrogen as dried blood and meat 

 meals, it is not so valuable because it 

 does not give as quick returns. It usu- 

 ally contains a varying quantity of phos- 

 phoric acid. 



DRIED BLOOD 



Dried blood from our large slaughter- 

 houses is frequently used as a manure. 

 It is one of the richest of the organic 

 nitrogenous materials in nitrogen and it 

 is one of the best since its physical char- 

 acter is such as to permit of its very 

 rapid decay in the soil during the grow- 

 ing season. It contains 9 to 12 per cent, 

 of nitrogen and a small amount of phos- 

 phoric acid. Dried blood is frequently 

 applied along with nitrate of soda when 

 a fairly large continuous supply of the 

 nitrogen is wanted throughout the grow- 

 ing season. 



DRIED MEAT IIEALS 



This material is another source of high- 

 grade organic nitrogen and consists of 

 meat scraps, or of nitrogenous materials 

 from the slaughter-houses. When rela- 

 tively pure, it contains from 13 to 14 per 

 cent, of nitrogen, and thus compares 

 favorably with blood. 



When buying ashes, the purchaser 

 should satisfy himself that the material 

 is neither adulterated nor full of coal 

 residue. 



Put Wood Ashes on Acid Soil 



Don't waste wood ashes. Apply them, 

 as produced, to acid soils. 



•Wood ashes contain a large proportion 

 of lime, which makes them of value in 

 correcting acid soils. Oftentimes land 

 intended for clover or alfalfa can be bet- 

 ter prepared for the crop by a top dress- 

 ing of fresh wood ashes, either hard or 

 soft wood being equally satisfactory. 

 Such a treatment will be of especial value 

 on marshy and sandy soils. 



If not allowed to leach out, wood ashes 

 are also rich in potash, and so form a 

 home source for a much needed element. 

 Practically all of our potash supply has 

 been imported into this country from cer- 

 tain of the countries of Europe now at 

 war, which fact has caused considerable 

 concern with many who purchase in large 

 quantities. 



A Better Method Needed 



F. C. Hart, Markets Branch, Dept. of Africaltare, 

 Toronto 



The situation this year reveals the 

 necessity for a more systematic method 

 of placing: Ontario fruit on the western 

 market. We have a central apple as- 

 sociation taking care of the output of 

 about thirteen fruit growers' associa- 

 tions in Ontario. There are, however, 

 over fifty fruit growers' associations in 

 the province and practically all of them 

 have been seeking markets in the west. 

 A proper distribution of the fruit is thus 

 impossible, whereas, if our whole out- 

 put were centrally controlled, cars could 

 be sent to a distributing centre, say 

 Winnipeg, and from there diverted by 

 the central agency to the different cities 

 where needed. The time during which 

 the cars are on the wa,y west is avail- 

 able for gaining the latest information 

 as to under-supplied markets and for 

 making sales. 



By another year the central associa- 

 tion should have many more local asso- 

 ciations united with it. This would re- 

 sult in a more systematic movement of 

 our fruit west and overcome many of 

 the difl^culties encountered this year. 



Observations in a Peach 

 Orchard 



Wm. Armttronf, Niagara-on-the-lake, Ont. 



The commercial peach growers of the 

 Niagara district will ever remember the 

 year 1914 on account of the total fail- 

 ure in peaches, except in a few orchards 

 on the Niagara River at Queenston. This 

 remarkable freeze of 1914 has taught us 

 a valuable lesson in regard to hardy 

 buds and the ability of some varieties r 

 peaches to resist a low temperature in 

 comparison with other varieties. 



In my peach orchard of several thou- 

 sand trees, two varieties came through 

 the winter with practically no damage to 

 buds, namely, the Triumph and Long- 

 hurst. Sneed, Carman, Old Mixon, and 

 New Prolific were next best, with about 

 thirty per cent, good buds. Yellow St. 

 John, Golden Drop, and Fitzgerald had 

 a light sprinkling of good buds. Jaques 

 Rareripe, Niagara, Globe, Elberta, and 

 Wheatland had a still lighter sprinkling 

 of good buds. Early Crawford, Gar- 

 field, Smock, Reeve's Favorite, and Bell 

 of Georgia had just an odd good bud. 



It is now well known that Triumph and 

 Longhurst are not desirable varieties. 

 However, each of these can be very 

 much improved by proper treatment. 

 Each of these two varieties have the 

 ability and habit of producing double 

 buds at short intervals on twigs, con- 



sequently these twigs should be cut 

 back to four or five buds. Certain 

 branches should also be thinned out and 

 other -branches headed back, all with 

 the object of distributing the buds even- 

 ly over the surface of the tree and al.so 

 to ensure the just and proper quantity 

 of fruit for any particular tree to pro- 

 duce in any one year. 



We do this thinning and cutting back 

 any time during the dormant season. 



These two prolific and hardy varieties 

 of peaches also require liberal feeding 

 at least twenty-five per cent, advance on 

 "Balanced Ration for Peach Trees," re- 

 commended by me in a former issue of 

 The Canadian Horticulturist. 



The Amateur's Orchard 



Stable manure is a good mulch for 

 apple trees, and may still be put on the 

 ground about the trees. 



Tramp the snow well about the trees. 

 This will help to prevent injuries from 

 mice under the snow. 



Did you get first-class apples and 

 small fruits this year? If not, why not? 

 Find the rea.son and remedy it. 



Cut and burn all dry or shriveled fruit 

 remaining on the trees. It is diseased, 

 and will cause you trouble next year. 



Now is a good time to study the 

 spraying proposition. Get books and 

 bulletins on the subject. Write some 

 of the sprayer manufacturers for their 

 catalogues. 



In pruning the apple trees plan to form 

 shapely heads that will permit the sun- 

 light to get into the centre of the tree. 

 It will give better fruit. 



Put grain, suet or meat scraps in the 

 trees or on high stumps so that the birds 

 may get them. If there are quails in the 

 neighborhood, feed them. It pays to 

 keep them on the place. They will eat 

 grain scattered in open places. 



Get the Government and Station bulle- 

 tins on the subjects you are especially 

 interested in. They may be had by send- 

 ing a postal card to your Experiment 

 Station, or the Provincial and Domm- 

 ion Departments of Ae'-i'-"lt<ire. 



