The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-10-13
The analysis of pure peach ash was
Total OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. 100 o.


Total Observation-Disclosures. 100 : 90
THE striking point brought out by
this analysis is the decided preference
of the peach for the element potas-
SUM, more than two-thirds of the min
eral matter of the peach being potash
or potassium oxide. This preference is
the more striking when we consider
the fact that the land on which these
peaches were grown had received no
fertilizer, so that the trees had liter
ally to root" for their potash and ex-
tract it from the clay of the soil
ION talking with peach growers 1
learn that the weight of a crate of
peaches varies considerably, but that
probably an average would be As
pounds. l myself weighed an empty
crate and found it to weigh nearly
eight pounds with its baskets, so we
would probably not be far wrong in es-
timating the net weight of an average
crate OF peaches at IS pounds. The
heaviest we'll authenticated yield OF
peaches in the state is 5,019 crates from
$50 trees.
1T is best to plant not more than 140
trees per acre; $40 is 1866 per cent. of
$50, and 5,019 crates at IS pounds per
crate would be 1856 pounds; 1856 per
cent of this amount would be 32,719
pounds, so we may take 10000 pounds
of fruit as representing what might be
called large yield from a thrift yor-
cl ard in full bearing.
From these data let us calculate the
quantities of nitrogen, potash and phos-
pkoric acid that would be carried off
fl ON an acre of land by a heavy crop
of peaches. Assuming our analysis of
the peach and it's ash to be an average
analysis, there would be carried off per
acre:
Pounds.
nitrogen ....................... 81.
Potash ................... 81 sc
Phosphoric acid .............. 16. 46
ITO replace these quantities of plant
fo cd carried off by the fruit alone there
would be required:
Pounds.
Cotton seed meal ......... $50
Sulphate of potash $50 per cent? =. 200
Acid phosphate Observation-Disclosures. 100
"Such a crop as that mentioned
above is, however, most extraordinary.
What would be considered a good aver
age crop would be about one-sixth of
the above. or about one crate per tree
Such an average crop would remove
81 pounds of nitrogen % pounds of
potash and 2.75 pounds of phosphoric
acid per acre, which could be replaced
by an application of cotton seed mea,
125 pounds; Sulphete of potash IS
pounds; acid phosphate, rs pounds
Though in practice it is recognized
that the plant does not, or cannot,
make use Of every pound of plant food
given it, and that there is considerable
waste or loss, so that l would advise
for peaches the application of not less
than cotton seed meal, $50 pounds: sui
phate of potash, SO pounds; acid phos-
phate, 80 pounds, per acre. OF course
it is impossible to give a formula to At
all cases. The grower should take into
consideration the age of his trees, and
consequently the amount of the fruit
he expects to remove per acre; also
the number of trees per acre and the
character of his soil, whether clay or
candy. rich or poor.
Il advise the use of sulphate of pot
ASH in preference to muriate or kainit
on theoretical considerations. l note in
the analysis that only trace of chic
rine has been taken from the unfertil-
lied soil by the peach, whilst nearly
10 per cent. of the pure ash is sulphufic
acid. 1t is further well known that the
sugar beet abhors chlorine. since rnu-
rtate OF potash and kainit are Injurious
to 1t, containing as they do large per
centages of chlorine, whilst sulphate of
potash is beneficial, improving the s,.
gar contents.
1 WouIn urge growers to try a few
acres fortified with muriate of potas h
alongside the same number of acres
fortified with sulphate of potash, and
observe the results in the quality and
flavor of the fruit. I will take pleasure
in analysing samples so grown for su-
gar to ascertain If there be any supe.
riority in fruit grown with sulphate
over that grown with muriate of pot
ash.
I'm conclusion, IL will say that we
tt--have but little-to-guide US by way of
comparison in this investfgat ton as
| there seem to be few, if any, reliable
analyses of the peach on record. At
water, who gives a large number OF
analyses of other fruits. omits the
peach entirely.
Another year 1 hope to make analy-
ses of peaches raised on land highly
fortified. and so compare them with
the analysis just made of peaches rails
ed on unfertilized soil. and see whether
there be much variation in the relative
composition of the ash, and also, if
possible, to settle the question of the
relative merit Of muriate and sulphate
of Sotash. .t
II desire to thank my assistants,
Messrs. r. G. Williams and Joseph Q.
Burton, for their slSillful aid and in
terest in this investigation. Respectful
ly submitted.