lAJkAAAKA 
85 
April, 1889. 
ORCHARD 
AND 
,'Awvwwy\^ 
CARDEN 
these are needed only in minute quantities, 
or not at all. 
3. In removing crops from the soil we 
take away plant food. This is the chief 
cause of soil exhaustion. Lack of fertility 
is commonly due, in large part or entirely, 
to the lack of plant food. 
4. Soils vary greatly in their capabilities 
of supplying food to crops. Different in- 
gredients are deficient in different soils. 
The chief lack of one may be potash, of 
another phosporic acid, of another several 
ingredients, and so on. 
5. Soils fail to furnish enough food for 
crops not so much because they have not 
abundant stores, as because the materials 
are not in available forms. A soil may have 
thousands of pounds of phosporic acid with- 
in reach of the plants, but locked up in frag- 
ments of rock so that the roots cannot ab- 
sorb it, and then the crop will fail for lack 
of phosphoric acid. 
6. The infertility of many soils is due 
more to their mechanical condition, their 
texture, and relations to heat and moisture, 
than to lack of plant food. Such soils want 
amendment first and manures afterwards. 
Some soils will give good returns for ma- 
nuring; others, without irrigation, or amend- 
ment by draining, tillage, the use of lime, 
marl, or muck, or otherwise, will not. 
7. The chief use of fertilizers is to supply 
plant food which crops need and soils fail to 
furnish. 
8. But the indirect action of fertilizers in 
improving the mechanical condition of the 
soil and rendering its stores of plant food 
available is often very important. Hence 
cheap materials, like bone and plaster, are 
frequently more profitable than manure or 
artificial fertilizers. 
9. Plants vary greatly with respect to 
their demands for food, their capabilities of 
gathering the ingredients from soil and air, 
and the effects of different fertilizers upon 
their growth. Hence the proper fertilizer 
in a given case depends upon the crop as 
well as upon the soil. 
10. The only ingredients of plant food 
which we need to consider in commercial 
fertilizers are potash, lime, magnesia, phos- 
phoric acid, sulphuric acid, and nitrogen. 
Of this list, magnesia is generally abundant 
even in ‘worn-out’ soils. Sulphuric acid 
and lime are more often deficient, and hence 
one reason of the good effect so often ob- 
served from the application of lime and 
plaster. The remaining substances — the 
phosphoric acid, nitrogen, and potash — are 
the most important ingredients of our com- 
mercial fertilizers, because of both their 
scarcity in the soil and their high cost. 
11. The chief use of commercial fertili- 
zers — such as guano, phosphates, bone, pot- 
ash salts, and special fertilizers prepared by 
formulae for different crops, is to supply ni- 
trogen, phosphoric acid and potash. 
12. These materials are expensive, but 
the right ones in the right places are never- 
theless very profitable. But the same ferti- 
tilizers in other cases may bring little or no 
return. 
13. It is not good economy to pay high 
prices for material which our soils them- 
selves may furnish, but it is good economy 
to supply the lacking ones in the cheapest 
way. Farmers cannot afford to use com- 
mercial fertilizers at random. No more 
can they afford to have their crops fail when 
a small outlay for the proper fei tilizer 
would bring a bountiful harvest. And it is 
time that they understood these facts, the 
reasons, and how to make use of them. 
14. The only way to find out what our 
soils want is to study them by careful ob- 
servation and experiments. Success in farm- 
ing, as in other business, requires the use of 
brains.” 
The Wonderful Peacli. 
The Wonderful ! the Wonderful ! 
The atmosphere is thunder full 
Of praises for this great and glorious peach; 
Which really well deserved are. 
And you may wander very far. 
E’er you a greater beauty chance to reach. 
The Wonderful ! the Wonderful ! 
The whole world may asunder pull 
All orchards in their ever greedy search; 
But they cannot and as rare 
A peach — without compare — 
And completely they will be left in the lurch. 
It has Havor, color, size. 
Everything to please the eyes 
As well as the palates of the mass: 
While it grows with greatest ease, 
The most impatient not to tease; 
And the greatest epicure must raise his glass 
To extol its merits Bne, 
When sipping his bright wine, 
And exclaim “we’ve something Wondeiful at 
last.” 
Should you have the wish to prove it. 
Just send to J. T. Lovett, 
Of New Jersey, and particulars he’ll send. 
That will justify my praises 
Of the great peach that be raises. 
And you’ll be the proBt gainer in the end. 
G. D. C. Ellis, Kentucky. 
Our Book Table. 
Bulletin No 9. Section of Vegetable Pathology , 
Department of Agriculture, Washington, D. C. 
Peach Yellows: a preliminary report by Erwin F. Smith. 
This is a book of 254 pages and contains numerous 
illustrations, maps and colored plates, representing the 
peach tree diseased and in health. We advise those 
of our readers who are interested in peach culture to 
send for it to the Department or to make application 
to their Congressman for it. We expect to refer to it 
hereafter in our Orchard Department, in the interests 
of our readers. 
Transactions of the Mass. Horticultural Society 
for the year 1888. Part. I The reports of this Soctety 
are always well worthy of careful reading and this is no 
exception. It contains many papers of much excell- 
ence and the discussions therein are full of interest. 
Robert Manning, Secretary. 
The Family Horse: Its Stabling , Care and Feeding. 
A Practical Manual for Horse- Keepers. By Geo. A. 
Martin, Illustrated. New York: Orange Judd Co. A 
book of 152 pages and containing many illustrations. 
It is a manual of facts and hints for every person who 
keeps a horse. It tells one how to select a horse, giving 
very clear directions for judging the age by the teeth, 
and detecting blemishes. It has a chapter on barn and 
stables, with views and detailed plans. Feeding and 
stable management generally are carefully considered 
and in brief we may say that all matters pertaining to the 
horse and its care are very fully treated. Price, post- 
paid. si.oo. 
Bulletin No 32. Mass. Agricultural Experiment 
Station. Record of twelve cows which served at the 
station for experiments to ascertain the cost of feed 
for the production of milk. C. A. Goessmann, Dir- 
ector, Amherst, Mass. 
Bulletin No 15. N. Y. Agricultural Experiment 
Station. Containing method adopted for the syste- 
matic testing of new fruits, a Circular to the originators 
or proprietors of new fruits and a list of fruits now 
under trial at the station. Peter Collier, Director , 
Geneva, N. Y. 
Schedule of Prizes offered by the Mass. Horticul- 
tural Society , for the year 1889. Robert Manning, 
Secretary. Boston, Mass. 
Lord A Thomas , Newspaper Advertising Agents , 
Chicago , 111. We are obliged to these gentlemen for 
some very neat little type measures which we find quite 
convenient. 
Agricultural Experiment Station of Delaware 
College , Newark. Del. First Annual Report. A. N. 
Raub, President. 
Catalogues Received. 
Ellwanger & Barry, Rochester, N. Y. Set of Des- 
criptive Priced Catalogues, Nos. 1, 2, 3, 5. Fruit, and 
Ornamental Trees, Shrubs, Hardy Perennial Plants, 
etc.. Select Roses, and Special List of Strawberries. 
These catalogues are very complete and give all need- 
ful information in addition to full descriptions- They 
are sent free to customers, but to all new applicants 
upon receipt of 25 cents. 
James Draper, Worcester, Mass. Illustrated and 
Descriptive Catalogue of the Bloomingdale Nurseries 
containing a select list of Fruit and Ornamental Trees, 
Shrubs, Roses, Vines, Plants, etc., with cultural notes 
and much useful information. 
Isaac F. Tillinghast, LaPIume, Pa. Catalogue of 
“Reliable «eeds at Honest Prices,” both of Vegetables 
and Flowers, with a list of tested novelties of former 
years. 
G. H. & J. H. Hale, South Glastonbury, Conn. Cat- 
alogue of Choice Pedigree Small Fruit Plants with an 
Essay on their culture. Also Fruit Trees, Flowering 
Shrubs and Vines, and Roses. 
C. H. Perkins, Moorestown, N. J. Catalogue of Fair- 
view Nurseries. Fruit Trees and Small Fruits. 
Thos. S. Ware, Tottenham, London, England. A set 
of Catalogues, illustrating and describing choice 
Hardy Perennials, Hardy Orchids, Aquatics, Tree and 
herbaceous Pseonies, Hardy Ferns. Roses, Chrysan- 
themums, and Hardy Florists’ Flowers, verv full and 
complete and admirably arranged These are worthy 
of preservation as books of reference. 
Gabriel. J. Lambriggkr, Big Home City, Wyoming. 
Annual Catalogue of Seeds, Plants, and Small Fruits. 
Me Math Bros., Onley, Va. Descriptive Catalogue 
and Price List of the Accomack Nurseries. Fruit and 
ornamental Trees, Small Fruits, Roses, Hardy Shrubs, 
Vegetable Plants and Seeds. 
Japanese Tree Importing Co, San Francisco, Cal. 
Circular of Japanese Trees and Plants with list of Or- 
anges, theOonshiu being a specialty. 
Steans Fertilizer Co-, 133 Water St, New York City. 
Catalogue of High Grade Standard Fertilizers with 
hints on the appropriate use of manures. 
Dr Isaac S. Cramer, Sergeantsville, N. J. Cata- 
logue of the Hunterdon Nurseries. Fruit, Shade and 
Ornamental Trees, Flowering Shrubs, Etc. 
M. B. Faxon, Boston, Mass. Catalogue of Specialties 
and Standard Seeds. 
Rumsey & Co, Seneca Falls, N. Y. Catalogue and 
Price list of Sprayiug Pumps, with some notes on 
injurious insects and their destruction. Mailed free 
upon application. 
Alling & Lodge, Madison, Ind. Catalogue of Cut- 
lery, illustrated and descriptive. 
C. Runge, San Antonio. Texas. Catalogue of Cacti, 
in both English and German. 
S. C. Decou, Moorestown, N. J. Price list of the 
Moorestown Small Fruit and Plant Farm. 
Trumbull, Reynolds A Allen, Kansas City, Mo. 
Catalogue of Farm and Garden Seeds, Tree Seeds, 
Agricultural Implements, Etc. 
R. P. Critchell A Co, Cincinnati, Ohio. Catalogue 
of Plants, Seeds, Bulbs and Garden Requisites, A large 
and very complete book with handsome cover. 
The United states Nurseries, Short Hills, N. J. 
Price List of Hardv Perennials. This catalogue like 
all the others issued by these nurseries that we have 
seen is finely printed on heavy paper and is but 
preliminary, we are told, to the issue of a Descriptive 
Catalogue much larger and fuller. 
