190 



Or again a bonedust contains 4'5 per cent, ammonia, 3'7 nitrogen, 



and 22 per cent, phosphoric acid: 



s. d. 



3-7 at 14s 2 10 



22 at 3s 360 



5 16 



Tn this manure the purchaser can arrive at a fair value of the 

 manure offered to him, to which, of course, must be added the cost 

 of carriage from the manure works. 



EFFECT OF FERTILISERS ON FRUIT CROPS. 



Experiments made a few years ago in the State of Missouri 

 brought to light the fact that twigs, fruit spurs, spurs with fruit 

 set of apples, analysed, showed that the much larger amount of 

 lime, phosphoric acid, and potash in the bearing twigs is very 

 marked as compared with non-bearing twigs. It would thus seem 

 that the effect of fertilising fruit trees cannot possibly manifest 

 itself in the same year in an increased fruit crop, but appears to a 

 certainty the year after, and that fruit growers, in valuing fertilisers, 

 must bear this in mind to arrive at a correct conclusion of the 

 action of manures on their fruit crop. 



Speaking in a broad sense, nitrogen, applied as a fertiliser, 

 produces wood and leaves ; phosphates produce fecundity ; and 

 potash produces sweetness and flavour; gypsum and sulphate of 

 iron help to fix the fruit on the tree. 



An abundance of nitrogen is indicated by rank growth and 

 dark green foliage, and by size and coarseness of fruit. Con- 

 versely, stunted growth and pale leaves often show lack of nitrogen ; 

 fewer fruit are formed ; these are of smaller size and colour early. 

 On oranges, excessive organic nitrogen results in thick rind, 

 abundant rag, and sometimes in causing defoliation, die-back, and 

 gumming diseases. 



Lime and potash correct the effect of heavy doses of organic 

 nitrogen. 



Mineral nitrogen stimulates the production of fruit more than 

 excessive applications of organic nitrogen. In oranges, thinner skin 

 and little rag or fruit pith is produced ; sulphate of ammonia, when 

 there is a slight deficiency of potash, tends to sweeten the fruit. 



Phosphoric acid starvation is at times manifested by the 

 appearance of the young and tender leaves, known as " frenching " 

 or variegations of the foliage. It throws the tree into fruit quicker 

 and has a most beneficial influence on the growth of the plant. 



Potash fertilisers are not sufficiently used by fruit-growers, 

 considering what an amount of this element is found in the ashes 

 of fruit. 



Heavy doses of potash, unless correspondingly accompanied by 

 other fertilisers, produce sour fruit. Lack of potash is shown by 

 spindly growth of wood, which summers badly and is easily injured 



