The Columbus journal., 1892-08-31
FARM AND HOUSEHOLD.

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FARM AND HOUSEHOLD.
THE LACK OF MINERAL FER
rlLlZERs FOR FRUIT.
Oae Cause ef Bllght, lGnAew aaa Rot
Freach Rosds-Why Danish B1t-
ter Il Good-Farm Notes
-HouseholA Helps.
Mineral Maaure for Fruit.
10 not one reason for increasing un.
certainty Of the fruit crop the lack Of
available mineral fertilizers. Wc
believe that this has moro to do
with failure OF fruit to set or to per.
feet than 10 commonly believed. Even
where analysis shows that there are
sufficient mineral elements In the soil
they may not be easily available 1t
10 we'll known that as cultivation
reduces tho amount Of vegetable or
carbonace0us matter the mineral
plant food locks itself up and gets
out Of the reach Of cropa 1t no
doubt does the same TO tree roots as
we'll Trees need more mineral
matter to protect fruit than most
fsrm crops do to make their growth.
Hence it often happens that grain
and grass can oe grown on land when
II planted to fruit the crop is nearly
always . failure.
Deficiency Of minerals Is very posi-.
bly, also one cause Of blight mildew
and rot with which fruit Is affected
more than it used to ba When the
very carly season is wet the effect Is
to dissolve some of the latent mineral
plant food. In such cases the fruit
sets we'll and If the after season be
favorable it per:ects crop This
year in many places April was unus-
ually dry. Fruit buds blossomed in
such places because their germs were
started the previous fall But after
blossoming there was not mineral
plant food enough in reach OF the tree
roots to cause the fruit to set Last
we believe to be the true explanation
Of fruit failures in some sections
When the country was new and the
soil full OF vegetable matter says the
American Cultivator the remains Of
agos Of decaying vegetation. it had In
abundance the materials for produc-
ton of both wood and fruit. The soil
was always kept moist 1t is not
strange that always supplied with all
they needed. trees bore early and
abundant crops As the vegetable
matter began to decrease the use OF
stable manures was resOrted to. These
were too largely nitrogenous. causing
excessive leaf and wood growth. In
the decay Of vegetable mold compare.
lively little nitrogen was given of. so
this useless growth was not unduly
st mulated.
The light rains that usually occur
in the summer DO not vet down to the
roots of trees. If the ground has not
been thoroughly soaked in winter and
spring the roots suffer. They may
sap enough TO maintain moderate
wood growth. but there are not
enough mineral elements in what the
roots get from the soil to make a crop
of fruit. These f-e ,uent light rains
none of them enough to wet down and
do any good. give the impression.
however that the season is a very wet
one. by keeping leaves and blossoms
constantly wet these rains furnish the
best conditions for blights and fungus
diseases to start and spread. Hence
has come the popular belief that a
wet season is bad for fruit II the
tree has been enfeebled by nutrition
it may be more liable to attacks of
disease just as animals who are en-
feebled from any cause are known to
DO.
What is tho remedy for this condi-
tion of things It is not to merely
apply moro mineral fertilizers There
are on most orchard lands enough
mineral elements il they were only
available Owing TO the deficiency
OF moisture in the soul they are not
available. It is this which has caused
much disappointment to those who
have applied phosphate potash and
other minerals without any good
effect. The manurcs have ut once
reverted TO insoluble forms and have
done no good. What is more needed
is to deepen the soil. and increase its
absOrptive power as much as possible
More water is needed. SubsOiIing
helps the soil to hold more water
Underdraining ia not Objectionable.
but rather helpful Stagnant water
does no good. The we'll drained
heavy soil is thereby enabled to hold
more moisture, without having it be-
come stagnant and n.urioua Keep.
ing the soil near the surface always
cultivated is another good thing. 1t
helps retain the mo 'sture in the soil
until it is taken up by the roots II
after this fruit trees do not bear then
apply mineral together with carbon
aceous manures so that the latter in
fermenting may give of carbonic acid
gas and thus keep the mineral plant
food in condition for use by the roots
French Roads.
The excellence of French roads is
we'll known. The United States
consul at Bordeaux describes how
they are made. The materials are
brought from the nearest Quarries and
placed ut either side of tho route
surveyed. In order that the full
amount contracted for may be de.
livered the stone must be heaped in
angular piles of prismatic shape and
fixed dimensions The heaps placed
at q given distance from one another.
are afterward visited by an official
Inspector and must in all instances
fit exactly beneath q skeleton frame
carried by him. The material Is
usually marble flint stone or gravel.
and whatever is used must be of the
best quality and cleansed from all
foreign substances. The stone must
be broken SO that each piece may
pass through a ring 2! inches in
diameter
1t is then spread evenly over the
road. the interstices being carefully
filled in " tn small pieces 80 that the