The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1874-07-02
How 10 Treat FruIs-Trses.

How 10 Treat FrufE-TreeS.
In considering the growth Of organ
isms. tile action of the akalies Is to be
looked upon as scarcely less important
than that Of air and water Lime Is the
great animal alkali, and potash the vege-
table one; 1t sold name OF vegetable alkai
expressed the fact, and ali the potash OF
commerce is III known to be derived
from wood-ashes. The Importance OF
potash as a manure has been frequently
overlooked BY farmers, who rarely know
the large amount Of this material found
I in grass, grain crops, leaves, barn-yard
manure. roots and fruits. How potash
acts in plants, in conjunction with carbon
and slick, to form woody fibre, starch,
sugar and oil, is yet unknown to cheml-
cal observers, but the fact of its action Is
/ beyond doubt. Liebig long since point
/ ed out that the chief cause OF barrenness
/ Is the waste Of potash carried of by rich
crops, especially tobacco, with no re-
placement by proper manure. How
many millions Of pounds OF potash have
! been sent To Europe from the forests Of
/ America, and in the grain, tobacco,
and hemp. Luckily one alkali may be
replaced by another, and we have re
ceived a considerable quantity OF soda
from European sea-weed and IN the shape
Of salt. Latterly, nitrate Of soda from
natural deposits in South America Is
brought to Us at a cheap price
The point to which we now call atten-
ton Is That our farmersGnd fruit-growers
have ignored, or rather been ignorant OF,
the importance Of wood-ashes as vege-
table stimulant and as the leading CON
stituent OF plants Even coal-ashes, now
thrown away as useless, have been shown,
both by experiment and analysis, to pos
sess fair share Of alkaline value Accor-
/ ding to our observation, if the practice Oh
putting mixture Of wood and coal-ashes
around the stems of fruit-trees and vines,
particularly early in the Spring were fol-
lowed as a general rule, our crops OF APP
pies, grapes, peaches, &c, would be
greatly benefited in both quality and
quantity, and the trees and vines would
last longer We will relate only one ex-
pertinent Some twenty-five years ago, we
treated an old hollow pippin appIe-tree
as follows The hollow, to the height OF
eight feet, was filled and rammed with a
compost Of wood-ashes, garden mold, and
a little waste lime (carbonate.) This
filling was security fastened in by boards.
The next year the crop of sound fruit
was sixteen bushels from an old shell OF
a tree that had borne nothing OF any
account for some time But the strangest
part was what followed. For seventeen
years after the filing, that old pippln
tree continued to flourish and bear we'll.
Let us call attention to still another
point Of importance in raising. This Is
the bearing year for apples and fruit in
general in New England probably 1t Is
also in some other parts. Now when
such years come, the farmers rejoice too
much at their prosperity and abuse 1t, as
nearly I'll people do the gifts Of fortune
We should he temperate as to the quantl-
ty of our trimming and plucking, the APP
pie crop in bearing years may be reduced
to but little more than half a crop as to
number, but the improvement lii size and
price and in the future effect, will more
than balance the loss. Next February,
March, or April, according to latitude,
let the tree trimmer stimulate and nour-
ish his trees and vines with fair supply
Of ashes, and in nearly every case he
will have a good crop of fruit in
the non-bearing year.-Scientltic Amerl-
can.
The Journal of Chemistry gives the
following simple recipe for the prevention
of flies on horses: Two or three small
handfuls of walnut leaves upon which
pour two or three quarts of cold water !;
let infuse one night, and next morning
pour the whole into q kettle and let it
boil for a quarter OF an hour. When
cold it will be tit for use. No more Is re-
quired than to moisten sponge, and be
fore the horse goes out Of the stable let
those parts which are most irritable be
smeared over with the liquid, namely be-
tween and upon the ears, the neck, the
TANKS, etc. Not only gentleman and
lady who rides out for pleasure will be
benefited by this, but the eoachman, the
wagner and all others who use horses
! Il I,