Smyrna times., 1883-09-19
WHOLE NO. l,41l.
For the Smyrna Times.
The Fertilization of Peach Trees,

OF all nations, the Chinese excel in
tree culture, as they do in nearly
pertaining to agriculture.
Centuries of experimental trials has
brought to them an excellence sur
passed by no other nation of the pres
emit day and only equalled by the
French and Germans.
With the Chinese, however. little or
nothing is known of the rules by which
this excellence is reached, since it is a
popularity of this people to attain re-
suits more from empirical tests than
theoretical reasoning, or in fact any
reason being given at all. But their
wondrous agriculture is nevertheless
i'll the advance of all other nations,
proving thereby that their methods are
correct.
With the French and Germans the
case Is different; the world owed and
still continues to owe, to the scientific
men of France and Germany, all that
is worth knowing in agricultural chem
istry as applied to the products of the
soil. Every phosphate factory in the
world pays monumental tribute to the
German scientist, Baron Liebig, for his
discovery of the means to render phOs-
phate of lime soluble and available.
The Legislatures of South Carolina,
Georgia and other States in the South,
have testified, in resolutions, to the
eminent services of NJ. Georges Vile,
France, to agriculture, in formulating
and giving to the world the unerring
principle of the dominant constituent
applied to different crops, viz: phos-
phoric acid and nitrogen for cereals
and root crops and potash for legumes
and woody fibre. Perhaps it NAV be
said this distinguishing trait in the
composition of fertilizers and their
known effect when applied, has in it.
self overshadowed the discovery of
Liebig, or, at all events. made it DOS
sible to be of service. Around this
principle of a predominant constituent
revolves the formula of every manufac-
turer who undertakes to issue fertil-
izers for special crops and is of such
Importance that it commands the at
! tentiOn of advanced agriculturists
everywhere. Still, it becomes neces-
sary to more fully explain this princi-
pie, especially in reference to the fer
tilization of peach trees as a special
crop, requiring for this crop alone,
special manure. lst-It may be stated
that ammonia, from which is evolved
nitrogen, is alone the only ingredient
contained i'll the three principal ones of
any fertilizer that is derived in part or
nearly all from the soil and atmos-
phere Atmospheric nitrogen plays
more important part than science has
been able to discover. In proof of this
we have for wheat, that for maximum
crops, Il fertilizer must contain more
heterogeneous matter than the sum of
the other ingredients, which we all
know is not the case, that on the con-
trary the special fertilizers sold for the
wheat crop contain nitrogen in a less
proportion than either of the other in
gradients. And yet, for upwards of
twenty years unremitting search on the
government farm at Vincennes, France,
has convinced NJ. Georges Vile, that
for large crops of wheat heterogeneous
matter of some sort should be the dom
inant ingredient, and, to the certain
, proof that this is SO, experiment and
actual test has demonstrated through
. out the known world. Then, the only
explanation at hand for this deficiency
of nitrogen in most commercial fertil-
iZerS can be found in that it is supplied
to great extent by the soil and atmos-
phere, which is not true of the other in
gradients at all. Neither is it true
that heterogeneous matter will, of itself,
l grow wheat without the aid of phos-
phOric acid, potash and other ingre-
: dients. For corn, the dominant con-
l stituent is phosphoric acid and for vines
: and fruit trees, potash. Now, assum-
| hat
should have for its dominant constit-
uent, potash, it does not follow in this
more than in wheat with nitrogen, that
: potash alone supplies all that the peach
:, tree exhausts from the soil or to yield
a good quality of fruit.
:: Again, if we take the methods used
y by the French, German and Chinese, al
b; authorities in tree culture, mo discrim
/. inatioA is now made for either of these
L nations i'll peach tree culture) but sim
- ply in tree culture, we find that each
. of those nations places the greatest
W value upon night soil, as the very
u best manure for tree culture, and ust
= it extensively to that end.
Now night soil contains potash, anG
y largely, but it is as phosphate of potash
and the question arises, when doe
~ potash become a phosphate in the com
IL mercial fertilizers of the day, and b,
what means? And peach trees requir
potash, but they do not in the bare in
gredient of simple potash, but rather a
a phosphate of potash, that the Frencl
ri and Chinese use with such surprising
e. results and which alone is found a
n such in excreta manures.
Ks If the steady southwark movement o
ne the isothmetrical line of peach cultur
er in this State means anything, it mean
I'd that the soil by successive groupings
IS becoming fast depleted of the one nee
10 essary ingredient in this crop and tina
IF, is phosphate of potash, even as tn
ce once virgin soil of Virginia has bee
Is depleted of nitrogen by successiv
g; groupings of tobacco.
eel In our neighboring State of New Jel
y sey fruit culturist has given the pre-
erence to night soil on peach trees fC
IN, sound, vigorous growth to the tree
" and better favored and quality of fru
nd than with any other fertilizer he coul
lis obtain. But then this is the practiC
m, of the nations mentioned above, VIII
use this manure in their culture of a
Sc, kinds of trees, and from this parity
rs. reasoning, it follows that the peaC
TN tree needs for it's maintenance ferti
en- izers that will renew the woody fibre
on the trunk and limbs, and as the effo
an of the trunk and limbs is for the files
:, and seed of the peach, clearly Il
l., course is laid out that it is best to SUI
ila ply only those manures that will +
:. new woody fibre, seed and flesh; al
IN, all experiment has proved, is best dor
Il with phosphate of potash, which
Ike found at its best in night soil, strengtl
GU ened with the phosphoric acid, ANN
ear MIA and potash of commerce, or lieu
this resource can be had in wood ashe
)ut The potash then is silicate of potas
a the most soluble form itcan be reduce
m to, but as a silicate it is not so availab
I. = for seed development as a phosphat
In hence the superiority of all manur
ON for fruit trees that have phosphate
mo potash as a dominant constituent.
sed K.
to -~.----
TEL SwINToN'sS RY-TELLER.-Willia
Swinton, well known as the war CT
M respondent of the NetU York Times, al
| sRF olar