312 Report oF THE HORTICULTURAL DEPARTMENT OF THE 
TABLE I].— PERCENTAGE OF PoTASH IN ASHES APPLIED. 
Year Per ct. Year Peériet; 
ieee oe, cM ee ee ee Reet ty 4.%3°> Séventh’.. ok” ee 3.24 
OCONEE oat tate Rs ee 3,89. Eighth’ ... 2.2 > Seep 4.39 
Phinda 0, Re, Peer Sih ae) Pea anti se. eh or : en 
HAU4 13 gt GUD BM ARERR eis OM Lt 5.71 - Tenth. ... «. 2. .so0 
Pitas Salad Cie. Rae ree 1.38 Eleventh ....o 2. 5.0) 
Diet. Va athe hee Ee 4:01. Twelfth . .). ... oss. aaa 
7 
Since 100 pounds of ashes were applied to each tree annually 
these figures show the number of pounds of actual potash per 
tree each season. Thus, 42.31 pounds were applied per tree 
during the twelve years; 2,031 pounds per acre; an average of 
169 pounds per acre for the twelve years. The amount of potash 
applied was much greater than is generally used in orchard 
practice, from 50 to 100 pounds per acre for apples being the 
common allowance. 
Unfortunately the amounts of phosphoric acid and lime in 
the ashes used were not determined. But since the amount of 
phosphoric acid found in ashes varies from 1 to 2 per ct., 1% 
per ct. being a fair average, we can assume that 1% pounds of 
phosphoric acid were applied per tree each year, or 72 pounds 
per acre. The average analysis of commercial wood ashes shows 
them to contain 32 per ct. of lime, so that there was probably 
added about 32 pounds of lime per tree annually, or 1,536 
pounds per acre. These amounts are in excess of those com- 
monly thought to be necessary per acre for apples, and there- 
fore this experiment has to do with phosphoric acid and lime 
as well as the potash in the wood ashes. It is true that phos- 
phoric acid in ashes becomes available slowly. But its effects 
should be seen-in twelve years, especially since the conditions, 
cultivation and the plowing under of cover crops, were favor- 
able for its becoming available. 
It is held by some that the apple does best on a slightly acid 
soil and it may be claimed that in this experiment lime has 
hindered the action of the other ingredients. However, I can 
find no data to show that an alkaline condition of the soil 
brought about by lime hinders any specific function of potash 
or phosphoric acid in growing apple trees; nor that the lime 
accompaniment could in any way nullify or obscure the action 
of these nutrients as to the yield or color of apples. In this 
connection it is worth noting that some of the best apple regions ~ 
in the United States have limestone soils. Many fruit growers 
