320 QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. [1 Ocr., 1897. 
soonest, are nitrogen, phosphoric acid, and potash. There is another substance—lime 
—which is necessary, not only for food to a slight extent, but also for other purposes. 
The numerous other substances necessary for plant life are, as a rule, so abundant 
in soils that they need not now be considered. 
It is always desirable to ascertain: by chemical analysis whether nitrogen, phosphoric 
acid, potash, and lime are present in the soil and subsoil in satisfactory quantities, for 
although one or more of them may not be in such a condition as to be immediately 
available for food, it is possible, to a very considerable extent, to make them so, and 
thorough cultivation combined with good drainage will largely conduce to this end. 
The following table of analyses of the ashes of various fruits, as well as of leaves 
and wood of some of them, shows the different proportions of potash, phosphoric acid, 
and lime they contain :— 
Phosphoric 
Potash. Lime. Acid. Soda, 
Orange—Fruit ... at ate at 36°42 24°52 11°07 
7 eeeed mers 3 bei a} 40°28 18:97 33-24 * 
Pineapple—F ruit xe: yp 7) 49°42 12°15 4:08 rb 
Fig—Fruit ey ete aoe a3 28°36 18°91 tri 24°14 
Strawberries—Fruit ... AG me 21°07 27°01 8°59 
Greengage—Fruit 4) ¥ ee 59°21 10°04 12°26 
Apple... ti} ly we Sy 55-68 4:08 12:34 
Quince—Seeds ... ne ny at 27°09 7°69 4202 
Lemon—Seeds ... a) fe ie 33°39 12°87 34°89 
Vine—Wood ... Ay xt} a 27°88 36°26 13°18 
Apple—Wood ... in Ae 4. 19°24 63°60 4°90 
Cherry—Wood ... oe: x1 - 24°78 28°69 773 
Orange—Roots ... 2; on ay, 15°43 49°89 13°47 
a Leaves ay: A et 16°51 56°38 niwere 
Wickson in his work on Californian fruits gives instructive information showing 
the quantities of soil ingredients withdrawn by various fruit crops :—1,000 Ib. of 
prarey withdraws 5 Ib. of potash, 1°52 lb. of phosphoric acid, and 1°70 lb. of nitrogen. 
eckoning a crop at 10,000 lb. per acre, this gives 50 1b. of potash, 15-20 Ib. of 
phosphoric acid, and 17 1b. of nitrogen withdrawn from the soil. A. crop of 20,000 lb. 
of seedless cranges per acre withdraws from the soil 55°60 1b. of potash, 13:40 ib. 
of phosphoric acid, and 53°80 Ib. of nitrogen. A crop of 20,000 lb. of pears per acre 
withdraws 36 lb. of potash, 10 lb. of phosphoric acid, and 12 1b. of nitrogen. A crop 
of 30,000 1b. of plums per acre withdraws 51°60 Ib. of potash, 13:20 lb. of phosphoric 
acid, and 167°7 1b. of nitrogen. A crop of 20,000 lb. of apples per acre with- 
draws 16 1b. of potash, 6 Jb. of phosphoric acid, and 12 ib. of nitrogen, With 
such information for a guide, an approximation by analysis of the quantity of 
potash, phosphoric acid, and nitrogen contained in the soil of an orchard, together with 
the weight of produce and some allowance for weight of substances removed in leaves, 
runings, &c., a rough estimate of balance in the soil might be obtained, and a fair 
idea be formed of the necessary substance orsubstances which require replenishing in 
the form of manure without waste. I know for a fact that great waste in the application 
of manure sometimes occurs, and, not unlikely, this is very frequently the case. For 
instance, an orchardist applies, say, superphosphate to his trees with considerable 
benefit. Others about the district hear of this, obtain superphosphate and apply 
without any benefit resulting. The vendor is blamed for the supposed rubbish ; 
another brand is obtained and applied, and again without benefit. Simply because the 
soil did not require it; this substance being present already in sufficient abundance 
for present needs. Such mistakes occur through an ignorance that all soils even in 
the same neighbourhood may not be exactly alike. 
In this necessarily incomplete paper, which has been written simply with a view 
to arouse discussion in the important matter of orchard manuring, it is not possible to 
give more than a very brief reference to the various kinds of manures easily obtain- 
able in the colonies. First of all is farmyard manure, about which everybody 
knows something, but everyone does not know that it varies immensely in quality; 
indeed, this fact seems to be but little known or little considered. So long as it is 
farmyard or stable manure, it is thought to be all right, but I have very 
good grounds for thinking that if is not always all right. Good farmyard 
* manure should consist of the solid and liquid excrements of domestic animals.. These 
are generally more or less mixed with straw, leaves, or litter of some sort. The 
liquid portion is of considerable value, but unfortunately it is very frequently per- 
mitted to flow away, and, as a rule, in city stables the liquid is carefully washed away 
