484 
JOunxA. 
OF  HOUTICULTURL  AXD  COTTAGE  GARDEXER, 
June  15,  1899. 
In  order  to  determine,  as  far  as  jiossible,  the  amount  of  fertilising 
ingredients  taken  from  the  soil  by  young  and  old  Apple  trees  and 
their  fruit,  a  series  of  investigations  has  been  made  by  Prof.  Roberts 
of  the  New  York  Cornell  Experiment  Station,  of  which  the  following 
is  a  summary. 
In  October  the  Ic.aves'wcre  picked  from  a  thirteen-year-old  Wagner 
Apple  tree,  from  18  to  20  feet  high,  and  analysed.  The  total  weight 
was  lbs.,  consisting  of  water  Ki  lb.=.  and  dry  matter  ITj  lbs., 
or  ri2-02  per  cent,  of  the  total  weight.  The  dry  matter  was  found  to 
contain  nitrogen  l‘S5  per  cent.,  phosphoric  acid  0'48  per  cent.,  and 
potash  I'TG  per  cent.  In  other  words,  nitrogen  0'29  lbs.,  phosphoric 
acid  0  08  lbs.,  and  potash  0‘2S  lbs. 
The  year  after  this  analysis  of  the  leaves  the  tree  bore  5  bushels  of 
Apples.  The  average  composition  of  the  Apples  is  given  as  water 
85'o  ])er  cent.,  nitrogen  O’lo  per  cent.,  phosphoric  acid  0  01  per  cent., 
and  potash  0T9  per  cent.  Assuming  that  for  five  years  there  would 
be  borne  5  bushels  of  Apples  annually,  that  in  the  next  live  years 
10  bushels  annually,  and  for  the  succeeding  ten  years  15  bushels,  the 
following  table  show’s  the  estimated  amount  of  nitrogen,  phosphoric 
acid,  and  potash  that  would  be  taken  from  the  soil  in  twenty  years  by 
an  acre  of  Apple  trees  set  35  feet  apart,  or  a  total  of  35  trees. 
FERTILISINCr  ItfATERIALS  TAKEN  FROM  THE  SOIE  TN  TW’ENTV 
Years  by  an  acre  ok  Am'EE  Trees. 
Apples.  Lpnves. 
Ih.e.  lbs. 
Nitrogen  . .  49tSl  ...  45t5’'; 
Phosphoric  acid  ...  ...  ...  ...  ...  l'2(i 
Potash  .  ...  HI 
The  figures  .‘•peak  for  themselves,  and  show  the  importance  of 
supplying  sufficient  and  suitable  manures  to  the  soil  to  restore  the' 
fertil.sing  materials  taken  by  the  trees,  and  urge  the  necessity  of 
constant  manuring  of  orchards  and  fruit  trees  if  paying  crops  are  to  be 
maintained. 
An  old  Apple  tree  of  the  variety  “  Seek-Xo-Further,”  practically 
jrast  bearing,  was  taken  up,  weighed  and  analysed.  The  composition 
was  as  follows  : — 
COMPO.SITION  OK  THE  DIKFERENT  PARTS  OF  AN  AFIU.E  TrEB. 
Leaves. 
Twigs  2  years 
growth. 
l.imbs  and 
'J'runk. 
Hoots. 
]b?. 
lbs. 
1  bs. 
Ib«. 
Total  weight 
...  232 
438A  ... 
.3972* 
840.' 
Water 
...  139.V 
218)  ... 
Ki.'jil-.', 
424) 
Dry  matter 
92.’,- 
219^  ... 
23i(r 
41.‘>J. 
Nitrogen 
r 
2 
r> 
1 
I  ’hosplioric  acid 
1 
...  1 
i 
2 
1, 
Potash 
...  H 
!!!  u  !!! 
0 
I"" 
These  results  show  that  the  tree,  exclusive  of  roots,  weighed  more 
than  2  tons,  of  which  about  one-half  was  dry  substance,  the  greater 
part  being  in  the  limbs  and  trunk.  The  tree  contained  in  the  above- 
ground  portions  about  8  lbs.  of  nitrogen,  3  lbs.  of  phosphoric  acid,  and 
8  lbs.  of  potash. 
A  thi-ifty  youDg  tree  of  each  of  si.x  varieties  of  Apple,',  Pear.®, 
Peaches,  and  Plums  was  analysed,  the  tops  and  roots  being  dealt  witli 
separately^  ,, 
Pertilisin(;  Constituents  Kemoved  i!v  an  .\cre  of  i.-vear- 
oim  Fruit  Trees  in  i’ounds. 
_  Pliosphonc  T,  ,  , 
Nitrogen.  Putasli. 
lbs.  lbs.  ]hs. 
Apples  ...  -g!)  ...  10  ...  I'lJ 
Pears  .  24-J  ...  7$  ..  .  14 
Peaches .  '2ih  ...  ,5:V  ...  11;J 
Plums .  19|  ...  ik  ...  ILV 
The  result  shows  that  nursery  fruit  stock  removes  from  the  soil  only’’ 
«  small  amount  of  fertilising  materials  as  CDmiiared  with  that  taken 
by  other  garden  crops.  The  usual  failure  to  raise  nursery  stock  witn 
success  continuously  on  the  same  land  is  believed  to  be  due  to  the  fact 
that  the  readily  available  fertilising  elements  have  been  exhausted  by 
the  rapid  grovvth  of  the  fruit  stock,  and  to  the  fact  that  the  ground  is 
not  alw’ays  cultivated  when  it  is  in  the  best  condition. 
Lime  is  known  to  he  a  very  necessary  addition  to  many  soils,  as  it 
IS  a  chief  ingredient  in  the  ash  of  fruit  tree.s,  though  scarcely’  noticeable 
in  the  fruit  itself. — J.  -J.  Willis,  llarpenden. 
OdONTOCLOSSUM  CRISPU3I  ARTHUR  BrISCO. 
The  varieties  of  Odontoglo-suin  crispnm  that  were  .«ent  from- 
private  .and  professional  growers  to  the  Temple  Show  on  the  31st  ult. 
were  of  excellent  average  qiial  ty  and  very  numerous  indeed.  W'e  now- 
give  ill  fig.  1(>7  a  representation  of  one  named  Arthur  Brisco  that  was 
contributed  by  IMr.  W.  Steven^,  gardener  to  W".  Thompson,  Esq.,. 
Walton  (i  range,  Stone,  Staffs,  for  which  the  Orchid  Committee  of  the 
Society  recommendtcl  a  first-class  certificate.  It  is  a  llow-er  of 
exceptional  beauty  and  merited  che  admiration  that  was  bestowed 
ufiouitby  the  crow-ds  of  visitors.  The  ground  colour  is  pure  white 
with  large  and  regular  enmson  brown  spo  s  and  blotches  distributed 
over  the  several  )  arts  of  the  whole  flower,  of  w-hich  the  form  is 
elegant.  It  is  a  variety  that  w-ell  maintains  the  reputation  of  the 
Walton  Grange  collection. 
SACCOLABIUM  CniLESTE. 
Blue  being  a  rare  colour  amongst  Orchids,  every  specie.!  that 
preduces  such  flowers  is  acceptable  and  useful.  Although  the  flowers 
aie  not  large  the  spikes  are  decidedly- attractive,  and  a  good  jilant  is- 
ITu.  107. — Cypripediu.m  cRi.spuir  Arthur  Brisco. 
very  show-y-.  Although  S.  coeles'e  (  fig.  108)  hails  from  Siam,  it- 
delights  in  the  temperature  of  an  ordinary  Cattleya  house,  and  maj 
he  grown  in  perforated  pans  or  baskets  suspended  in  '  a  shady,  or 
partially’  shaded  corner,  using  as  compost  live  sphagnum  moss.  Care 
is  essential  in  watering,  as  none  must  remain  in  the  centre  of  the 
grow-ih,  or  irreparable  damage  will  occur;  in  fact  water  should  only 
be  given  in  very  moderate  quantities,  especially  if  the  situation 
occupied  by  the  plant  is  a  damp  one. 
Vanda  Denisoniana. 
BrOI'.aply  many  of  our  readers  will  not  he  acquainted  with  this- 
delighlful  Vanda,  which  is  not  nearly  as  much  grown  as  it  deserves  to 
be.  The  plant  is  somewhat  like  a  weak  V.  tricolor  in  habit,  and  the 
flower  spikes  appear  in  spring  from. the  up[ier  portions  of  the  stem. 
Such  beautiful  white  flowers  they  are,  absolutely  pure,  and  the  three- 
lobcd  lip  w’as  likened  by  Professor  Bieichenbach  to  the  tail  of  a  black 
cock,  V.  Denisoniana  may  he  grown  with  other  Vai  das  in  a  fairly 
warm,  moist,  and  shady  house;  and  the  roots  not  being  so  strong  as 
those  of  the  majority  of  kinds,  the  receptacle  for  them  should  be  of 
medium  size  only. 
Small  baskets,  such  as  are  often  used  for  single-stemmed  plants - 
of  V.  coeruloa,  suspended  near  the  roof  glass,  suit  it  admirably. 
