POTASH FOR THE GARDEN

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1300, 28 July 1886, Page 3

POTASH FOR THE GARDEN

Fruit trees are occasionally met with which, year after year fail to leir fnii't or if they bear any only a small amoun of inferior quality. The cause of such barrenness is sometimes difficult to ; determine. Generally, however, it will be found to be due to seme defect in the *aoil, so that the tree falls to obtain tome element of food without which it is 1m possible for it to bear fruit. By supplying what la lacking, fruitfulness may be I induced* A story is told of a printer’si apprentice who sought to render fruitful several barren cherry trees upon bis father’s place. He thought the borers were at work on them, and not being familhr with the habits of these insects Im* agined that they worked on the roots. He accordingly moved the earth from the roo'a about the trank and freely applied a lolntion of c f- r-lash need in the printing office for washing type, which after becoming saturated with printer’s Ink, was usually thrown away. The result was astonishing. The trees began to grow luxuriantly, and for years prodyced Immense crops of excellent cherries Although the treatment adopted by the poung printer was of the order rough and ready, yet It proved just what was needed In that case* The trees had been starved for want of potash, which the application supplied, and fruitfulness was the result. Wood ashes, which oou'aln a large percentage of potash and considerable phosphate of lime, are excellent for use about trees of all kinds. In case of

barrgn trees enough mast be used to reach the feeding roots and furnish the needed amount. 3he ashes mast be freo'y strewn about the tree, several bushels may be used, but they should not be placed in contact with the trunk. Those having pear and apple trees which are unproductive should try the effect of a liberal application of wood ashes. There need be no fear cf usirg too many, provided the ashes are spread over the surface of the ground. A sirs are good to make barren trees propuctive and equally valuable to increase if the productiveness of an orchard can be la creased two or three fold by the use of ashes it will repay the owner to use them. Instead of having a crop every other yea a crop every year might be obtained by liberally feeding the trees.