152 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ February 2S, 1893. 
Bruce. As a disease resister it stands unique. Every grower who has 
bad Potato soil should give this variety a trial.—J. B. Riding. 
Lady Truscott. 
Until reading the article (page 105) by Mr. Fenn, I was not aware 
that the above Potato was one of his raising. I have said much in 
favour of Ringleader, another of his raising, and I cannot, or ought not, 
to say less of Lady Truscott. With me good white round Potatoes of the 
best cooking quality are not over-plentiful, but Lady Truscott is simply 
grand, coming in after the second early. It might, I suppose, be called 
a midseason variety. 1 have grown it for some years, and hope to do so 
many more yet. Quite recently I sent for a change of seed, which is 
quite the best thing to do where the soil is not of the best for Potatoes. 
The tubers are not large, but when cooked are particularly white, and of 
excellent flavour.—E. M. 
Planting Late Potatoes. 
I DO not think the advice given by “ 0. C.” (page 116) as to the 
late planting of main crops, will be universally accepted as being the 
best. Many persons put these in first, finishing with the medium 
kinds; but as “0. C.” does not tell us what he calls “late,” it is 
hard to say when they should be planted in his opinion. I have seen 
many acres of Potatoes spoilt through not planting the tubers early 
enough. When the planting of such sorts as Magnum Bonum, for 
instance, is left until the second week in May what chance is there for 
the haulm to develop ? The middle of April is a much better period to 
plant field Potatoes, especially where the soil is heavy. There need be 
little fear of blanks if the sets are properly chosen.—S. 
Storing Potato Sets. 
As “ O. C.” (page 116) rightly points out, much of the success or 
otherwise of the Potato crop emanates from the manner in which the 
sets are stored. In many gardens these cool structures are not available 
where a number of seed tubers can be stored. My plan is to dig the 
, Potatoes on a fine day, and allow them to lay two or three hours in the 
sun before storing. We place them in heaps in the Mushroom house 
for a month or so until that structure if required for its legitimate 
use. The Potatoes are then pitted, a layer of straw separating one sort 
from another. Once during the winter the tubers are turned over, 
choosing a dry day, which dissipates any moisture that may have collected 
about the sets. Any growths that have formed are removed. By the 
end of February the Potatoes are ready for removal to the “sprouting” 
place, some of the early sorts having been taken out in January. The 
shelves in the fruit room are utilised for “setting up” the Potatoes, 
choosing a position as near to the window as possible, so as to afford 
both light and air as a means of inducing the growth to be sturdy. I 
like to have the sets with shoots half an inch long at planting time.— 
M. P. 
CANKER IN FRUIT TREES. 
(^Concluded from jiage 132.') 
It will be seen from the following table the importance of applying 
manures to benefit fruit in the first stages of swelling is paramount, as a 
large proportion of the mineral matter contained in the Apple is stored 
up during the early part of its growth :— 
“Analysis ®f Ben Davis Apples in Three Stages op Growth. 
Actual Quantities and Proportions per cent. 
Unripe Apples. 
Ripe Apples. 
Small Apples. 
July 9th. 
October 23rd. 
October 23rd. 
Grains. 
Grains. 
Grains. 
Average weight of whole fruit .. 
47-70 
215-00 
ro-40 
Weight of flesh in fruit .. 
— 
201-00 
67-70 
Weight of core in fruit .. 
— 
14-00 
8-70 
Weight of ash in fruit 
5-51 
4-03 
4-81 
Per cent. 
Per cent. 
Per cent. 
Amount of flesh in fruit .. 
— 
93-40 
87-60 
Amount of core in fruit .. 
— 
6-60 
12-40 
Ash in whole Appples 
0-29 
0-27 
0-31 
Carbon in same . 
2 35 
6-04 
0-52" 
The following table, taken from the same source as the preceding, 
namely—“ Bulletin of the Missouri (Columbia) Department of Horti¬ 
culture,” shows an equal weight of small inferior fruit extracts more 
substances from the soil than does the large, and still further points to 
the importance of supplying soluble manures and early, so as to get the 
most value out of them—secure it in the fruit. 
“ Mineral Constituents of Ben Davis i^ppLES in Three 
Different Stages of Growth. 
Per-centage quantities and actual quantities in 10 bushels of fruit. 
Unripe Apples. 
Ripe Apples. 
Small Apples. 
July 9th. 
Oct. 23rd. 
Oct. 23rd. 
per cent. 
oz. 
per cent. 
OZ. 
per. cent 
OZ. 
Silica 
0-58 
0-13 
1-23 
0-26 
2-16 
0-59 
Ferric oxide 
0-47 
0-11 
0-46 
0-11 
0-66 
0-18 
Phosphoric acid 
8-96 
2-07 
8-20 
2-23 
8-73 
2-39 
Lime 
6-85 
1-58 
5-66 
1-21 
8-85 
2-42 
Magnesia 
4-80 
1-11 
4-30 
0-92 
4-76 
1-30 
Potash .. 
54-02 
12-49 
56-74 
12-12 
52-44 
1435 
Soda 
2-10 
t-49 
1-94 
0-41 
2-08 
0-57 
Undetermined.. 
22-22 
5-14 
21-47 
4-50 
20-62 
5-56 
Total .. 
100-00 
23-12 
100-00 
27-76 
100-00 
27-36 " 
If 10 bushels of fruit is the full produce of an Apple tree at its best, 
and there being seventy-five trees per acre, at 24 feet apart. No. 1 
sample has abstracted by July 9th 10 lbs. of phosphoric acid, 7^ lbs. of 
lime, and 52^ lbs. of potash. No. 2, ripe Apples, lOJ lbs. of phosphoric 
acid, lbs. of lime, and 56| lbs. of potash ; and No. 3, small Apples, 
11 lbs. of phosphoric acid, 11;^ lbs. of lime, and 67^ lbs. of potash. The 
worthless trash (small Apples) abstract more phosphoric acid by three- 
quarters of a pound, 5| lbs. more lime, and lOJ lbs. more of potash than 
the same quantity per acre of full grown, marketable fruit. That is 
another reason why the produce of neglected orchards present such a 
deplorable figure beside imported fruit in the markets—namely, waste 
the resources of the soil on a worse than useless crop. The fact is, the 
culture of 99 per cent, of the orchards in this country has for its sole 
object soil exhaustion, for very few get anything returned to the soil. 
Yet the clamour is for protection—make consumers buy rubbish. Never I 
The following analyses by Herr F. F. Schutt show the importance of 
an early supply of food elements. The analyses are given in “ Bieder- 
mann’s Centralblatt,” 1892, and in the Gardeners' Chronicle show the 
components of Apple tree leaves on the dates given in the table. 
May 25th. 
Sep. 20th. 
Per cent. 
Per cent. 
Constituents :— 
Water . 
73-36 
60-71 
Ash. 
2-33 
3-46 
Nitrogen . 
2-94 
2-48 
Composition of the Ash :— 
Phosphoric oxide. 
10-47 
5-82 
Potash. 
10-82 
11-63 
Lime. 
17-40 
27-91 
Magnesia .. .. .. .. .. .. 
9-77 
4-81 
Iron oxide. 
1-49 
1-41 
Silica. 
1-07 
1-14 
The only ingredients worth noting are the phosphoric acid, potash, 
lime, and magnesia, except the nitrogen. All the analyses tend to 
confirm M. Ville’s statement that only nitrogen, potash, lime, and 
phosphoric need be added to any soil in the manure. It appears, how¬ 
ever, from the above analysis that magnesia is an important element in 
Apple tree leaves, and points to the necessity of supplying it to Apple 
orchards, therefore the value of kainit as a manure in supplying that 
element, and soda as well as potash. A deficiency of magnesia may in 
some soils have something to do with the tendency of Apple and Pear 
tree leaves, shoots, and fruits to attacks of scab fungus (Cladosporium 
dendriticum). But scab in Apples and cracking in Pears is worst in 
heavy soils where there is the largest per-centages of magnesia, there¬ 
fore the evidence is in favour of the fungus being the cause, and 
nothing but the fungus. 
Analysis of the wood and whole fruit of the Apple are given below. 
Wood. 
Fruit. 
Potash . 
19-24 
35-68 
Soda . 
0-45 
26-i9 
Magnesia. 
7-46 
8-75 
Lime . 
63-60 
4-08 
Iron .. .. . 
0-07 
1-40 
Phosphoric acid. 
4-90 
13-59 
Sulphuric acid. 
3-29 
6-09 
Silicic acid . 
2-06 
4-32 
Nothing in these analyses show cause for deviation from the 
acknowledged principle of manuring fruit trees. However opinion may 
trend to the total replacement of natural by artificial manure in agri¬ 
culture, it can never apply exclusively to fruit culture, for in the 
former there is always a large proportion of residues in roots and other 
parts of the crops in the soil; consequently there is no impoverishment 
by the use of chemical manures, but an actual increase of organic 
matter. In fruit growing there is no crop residue, except in orchards in 
grass, or in others in the shape of weeds ; therefore those that recom¬ 
mend the complete discarding of stable or farmyard manure, and 
reliance solely on artificial, make a mistake. Nevertheless, a judicious 
displacement of natural manure by artificial has proved advantageous 
to the crops and a saving to the cultivator. 
Bone superphosphate, by supplying phosphoric acid and lime in a 
soluble form, heads the list of suitable manures for fruit trees. Thomas’ 
phosphate, or basic slag, also contains phosphoric acid largely (18 per 
cent.), and lime in a sufficiently soluble form where there is organic 
matter, as in gardens generally and new ground being prepared for 
planting with young trees, also for orchards in grass. 
Potash can only be supplied economically in kainit, and no soil needs 
a supply except those deficient, the light and exhausted. Nitrate of 
potash is far too dear for general use, and the artificials employed in 
gardens often cost more than the crops are worth ; but those that will 
have superlative products must not begrudge the extra means. 
Nitrogenous manures come next in M. Ville’s recommendation, and 
complete the list of what he considers necessary to apply to soils for the 
economic production of fruit. Sulphate of ammonia may suit good 
loams and heavy soils, but nitrate of soda is better for calcareous and 
light soils, if not for all, under judicious management, while none are so 
disastrous to the hardiness of the trees where it is used injudiciously. 
It must always be applied to fruit trees during their growth and in the 
first half of the fruit swelling. Applied to trees already making enough 
wood it does no good, but harm ; and supplied after July it only tends 
to a late growth, which being soft and the winter severe is often crippled 
—many trees for life.—G. Abbey. 
