This section is from the book "The Gardener's Monthly And Horticulturist V28", by Thomas Meehan. See also: Four-Season Harvest: Organic Vegetables from Your Home Garden All Year Long.
"F. M.," Vineland, N. J., writes: "Is it clearly demonstrated that potash is a protection against yellows? I want to set out a large orchard, and would gladly invest in a supply of potash when planting, if that is all required to make the peach orchard proof against the disease?"
It is by no means demonstrated, that a want of potash in the soil is a safeguard against yellows. There are plenty of instances where trees have the yellows in soil over-abounding in potash.
It has been clearly demonstrated by Prof. Pen-hallow, that there is a deficiency of potash in the wood of trees affected by yellows; but this may be from the diseased condition of the tree, depriving the tree of its usual power to assimulate what it ought to do; or from properly using the vital power over the potash element, and not from any scarcity of potash in the soil itself.
 
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