372 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ October 27, 1881. 
invariably found that a dressing of fresh wood ashes to the Pota¬ 
toes at planting time scattered between the drills after the plants 
appeared, to have a wonderful effect in increasing the crop. It 
also promotes a robuster growth in the haulm—possibly by pre¬ 
senting abundance of lime for their use—at least, the effect of 
wood ashes in promoting haulm-growth is very much less marked 
on well-limed land than on land where lime is deficient. Kainit, 
a salt rich in potash, we have also found to give an increased 
quantity of tubers ; and what is of more value than mere increase 
of crop, kainit salts and wood ashes, on soil rich in vegetable 
remains, produce Potatoes of decidedly better quality than do 
stimulating manures containing much nitrogen, such as ordinary 
manure and urine. In America it is always found that virgin 
forest land newly cleared produces immense crops of the very 
finest Potatoes. The fineness of quality is invariably attributed 
to the abundant supply of potash present in the soil consequent 
on the clearing fires. 
Recent experiments in plant-growth go to prove that no starch 
can be formed without the presence of potash, and without starch 
growth is an impossibility. We quote the following from a lecture 
delivered by Professor Otway before the Connecticut State Agri¬ 
cultural Society—“ If we examine a green leaf with a microscope 
we may find in it thousands of minute sacs, or cells as they are 
called. Some of these contain the green substance called chloro¬ 
phyll. Inside these grains of chlorophyll appear still smaller 
grains of starch. Starch is composed of the elements carbon, 
oxygen, and hydrogen. It is produced inside the leaves. The 
carbon is taken from the carbonic acid of the air by the agency 
of the chlorophyll, is united with oxygen and hydrogen, the ele¬ 
ments of water, and thus starch is produced. After starch is so 
formed it is conveyed to the other parts of the plant, and stored 
away as with Potatoes or grain, which consist largely of starch, 
or is transformed into the other materials of which the plant is 
made up, and this formation of starch with chlorophyll grains, and 
transportation, transformation, and storage to build up the plant, 
is going on continually as the plant grows. If, then, no starch 
is formed by the chlorophyll in the leaves, normal growth is im¬ 
possible.” Again : As Dr. Nobbe says at the conclusion of over 
a hundred pages of description of his experiments—“ Without 
potash the plant cannot assimilate (the materials needful for its 
growth) and shows no increase in weight, because without the 
co-operation of potash in the chlorophyll no starch is formed.” 
The fact that wood ashes and kainit applied to ground rich in 
organic remains never fails to produce Potatoes of the best 
quality, was long a puzzle to us. Indeed, we attributed it to 
another cause. The fact remained, however, and whenever we 
possibly could we profited thereby. We have dealt at some length 
with this division of our subject, but the matter is of much im¬ 
portance, and we may be piardoned for details and quotations in 
our endeavour to press the matter home on those who may never 
have given the subject a thought. 
Although on rich soils the application of urine failed to give 
anything like the favourable results we expected, we have again 
and again found that its application to new land containing very 
little organic remains, and deficient in ammonia or nitrate salts, 
to be of great benefit to Potatoes. It must never be forgotten 
that the leaves manufacture all the substance of the plant, and to 
expect a full crop of Potatoes or anything else from a stunted 
growth of shaws is expecting too much. On such soils as produce 
through poverty only a stunted growth, the nitrogen in urine never 
fails to increase the manufacturing part of the plant—the leaves ; 
while in the case of many plants, and especially Potatoes, the 
potash added contributes very materially to the formation of 
6tarch in the form of Potatoes, grain, and all other vegetable 
produce. 
We have been led to say thus much on the application of manure 
to Potatoes, because these stand alone in our experience in being 
rendered at once stronger and yet less prolific by the application 
of manure rich in potash, rich in nitrogen. To almost all other 
garden crops, the Leguminosse excepted, urine may be freely 
applied if properly diluted ; and on soil long cropped with ordi¬ 
nary vegetables will do good only by supplying the deficiency of 
potash, while the nitrogenous matters will reinforce the effects 
of the potash salts. Such is our experience, such is our practice. 
We have produced results by the use of urine which without it we 
could not have done, and we consequently strongly recommend 
others to use it. We ought to caution beginners, though. As it 
comes from the tanks it is so strong that, applied without being 
diluted, it is destructive. Never apply it to dry soil unless diluted 
with eight times its own bulk of water. When the ground is wet 
and the rain is falling less will be sufficient. When applied in 
winter it need not be diluted at all. It is much more profitably 
applied to growing crops, however, but it is a pity to let it run to 
waste even in winter. Applied during winter to quarters of small 
fruits it promotes vigour and increases the crop wonderfully, 
especially when the bushes are old. 
To let every reader of this understand why the application of 
manures rich in potash is, on economical grounds, advisable in 
the case of garden ground, we should say that in the economy 
of all animals, and especially those which are domesticated, the 
potash which is in their food is excreted chiefly iu the urine. 
Those who only use the solid matters require to use much 
more of it than is necessary in order to produce a given result.— 
Single-handed. 
(To be continued.) 
FRUIT TREES CANKERING. 
I agree with what ‘‘A Northern Gardener” stated in the 
Journal last week about the cause of canker in fruit trees. I 
have made this a subject of observation for many years, and the 
conclusion 1 have come to is identical with his. The general idea 
is that canker proceeds from ungenial and wet soils, and these 
are no doubt concomitant causes, but the immediate cause is frost, 
as I shall presently show. That the cold, wet, ungenial soils have 
a great deal to do with it in the way of making the trees more 
susceptible of attacks of frost is true, for in all such soils, espe¬ 
cially in wet seasons, the young wood of the fruit trees rarely 
ripens properly ; the tissue is loose and succulent, the sap vessels 
are full of thin watery fluid, and when winter comes with its 
severe frosts the tissue is ruptured, the fluids are extravasated, 
and canker is produced. 
There are some varieties of fruit trees which are naturally of 
a delicate constitution, and are more amenable to such a con¬ 
dition as I have described, even after seasons that are not re¬ 
markable for their superabundance of moisture. The Ribston 
Pippin is one of these. It matters not w 7 hat soil it may be in, 
unless it be one that is unusually light and warm it almost in¬ 
variably suffers from canker. Twelve months ago I planted some 
standard Ribston Pippins, very handsome trees from a well- 
know'n nursery. When I planted them they had all the appear¬ 
ance of rude health, and I indulged the hope that I had got a 
stock of this favourite Apple that would some day bring pleasure 
as well as profit to me. But these bright illusions have all been 
dispelled ; for this summer every one of these have been attacked 
most virulently with canker on the stem, and in some instances 
it has eaten so deeply into the substance of the stem that during 
one of those severe winds we had a few weeks ago they have 
snapped in two as if they had been rotten sticks. Now in this 
case subsoil could have had nothing to do with it, for these trees 
had no time to penetrate it, or even to stray from the fine loamy 
soil in which their roots were planted ; but the injury was done 
before I received the trees from the nursery, and I shall be sur¬ 
prised if many more planters besides myself cannot tell the same 
tale this year. The reason is that both last winter and the 
previous one were so severe that great damage must have been 
d >ne in this way. 
What I have said of canker is equally true of gum. Gum in 
stone fruit trees is merely the analogue of canker in Pippin fruit 
trees. Its effects and its causes are the same. The dying of large 
portions of Apricot trees is attributable to the same cause. “How 
can that be ?” I think I hear someone say ; “ the branches of Apri¬ 
cots die off in summer when the tree is covered with leaves.” 
True, friend, hut the mischief was done in winter; nay, perhaps 
even two winters before. The tissue received its injury then 
though not destroyed ; the branch lived and lingered till it could 
live no longer, and w'hen the demand upon its resources w r as made 
by the fully developed leaves, the wounded tissue failed in its 
functions and the branch died. Such is, what I believe after 
many years’ study of the subject, to be the true history of canker. 
It is simply the action of frost on delicate tissue ; and as the 
strength of the tissue varies in different trees either from their 
natural constitution or from circumstances of soil and climate, so 
are some varieties more capable of resisting, and others more 
liable to suffer from its effects.—H. B. 
Transplanting for Spring Garden Decoration. — I have 
been at this work whenever opportunity offered during the past 
month. The beds and borders are now nearly all filled, and in 
general more than a score of small beds are each furnished with 
three different varieties of hardy flowers, principally propagated 
from cuttings or seeds during leisure hours. Pansies are great 
favourites, and I raise all from selected seed. Cuttings are much 
inferior in flower, and less robust. I grow largely the Dianthus 
family—Carnations, Picotees, and Pinks. So of the Primulas, Poly¬ 
anthus, Auriculas, Ac. No plant is better than Anemone coronaria 
