STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 39 



increases the moisture-holding capacity, forms a dust mulch 

 thereby lessening the loss by evaporation, improves the texture 

 of the soil, gives opportunity to incorporate more humus in the 

 soil, increasing the growth of bacteria and their action; and 

 what is perhaps exceedingly important in orcharding is the fact 

 that stirring the soil disturbs and turns up to destructive agen- 

 cies many thousands of larvae or the injurious insects themselves 

 which may be hibernating in the soil. 



In considering the fertilizing of orchards we must not for- 

 get that nature has provided a vast store of plant food in the 

 soil largely in an unavailable state, which can be brought into 

 use most economically by the use of the plow and harrow. 



Somehow the impression seems to be abroad that orchards 

 take very little from the soil. As a matter of fact they deplete 

 the fertility of soils to a greater extent than most grain crops. 

 While the area from which the tree gathers its food is larger, 

 the fact that no rotation or change of crops can be practiced 

 makes this depletion even greater after a period of years than 

 in the case with other crops. 



The following figures clearly show what the comparison 

 between the orchard and a wheat crop, for example, is : 

 20 years' apple orchard — trees 35 feet apart — 10 crops, 

 removes 



Nitrogen Potash Phosphoric Acid 



1,336 lbs. 1,895 lbs* 310 lbs. 



I 8c 4^c 5c 



$240.48 $85.28 $15.50 

 Total = $341.26. 



20 years' wheat, 15 bu. grain and 2100 tbs. straw to the acre, 

 removes : 



Nitrogen Potash Phosphoric Acid 



658 lbs. 210 lbs. 128 lbs. 



i8c 4^c 5c 



$118.44 $945 $640 



Total =: $134.29. 



