EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETINS. 265 



four dollars per ton and provides a cheap source for this material. It is 

 slowly soluble and its effects can be seen for several years. Of ground 

 bone from two to five pounds will be sufficient for young trees, while 

 those in full bearing will require from five hundred to one thousand 

 pounds per acre, if they are of large size and cover all of the ground. 



Another source of phosphoric acid is the dissolved rock phosphates from 

 South Carolina. They are less valuable than the bone phosphates and 

 the transportation charges render them little if any cheaper. As com- 

 pared with ground bone, the "odorless" and other iron phosphates can not 

 be recommended for most localities. 



Nitrate of soda is the best source for nitrogen in a mineral form, but 

 where stable manure can be obtained it will have little use. Trees will sel- 

 dom need more than one to two hundred pounds of this material per acre. 



It will generally be desirable to supply both potash and phosphoric acid 

 to the apple trees and the ground bone and potash salts can be mixed and 

 applied together. As a rule it will require two pounds of the ground 

 bone to each pound of potash salts. When ashes are used with ground 

 bone, it will be well to apply one to two bushels of unleached ashes to 

 each ten pounds of ground bone. 



RENOVATING OLD ORCHARDS. 



Nearly all of the orchards in the state are in sod, and are in anything 

 but a flourishing condition. They have for the most part been allowed to 

 shift for themselves and as a result have become "hide-bound" and make 

 but little growth and produce still less fruit. 



We are often asked to recommend a course of treatment for such 

 orchards, but the conditions vary to such an extent that what might be 

 desirable for one orchard might not be required in another. In a general 

 way, supposing the conditions to be as stated, we would make the following 

 recommendations. 



(1.) Cut down all trees that have gone so far beyond their prime that 

 they have badly decayed trunks and only one or two broken branches. 



(2.) From trees that have healthy trunks and promise to in a measure 

 renew their youth if given proper care, remove all dead or dying branches, 

 thin out surplus shoots where absolutely necessary, and attempt to bring 

 the trees into good form. If they are badly misshapen it may be well to 

 cut the stronger branches back severely in order to force the others into 

 growth. If a tree of some worthless variety is fairly healthy and vigorous, 

 it may pay to top-graft it with some desirable sort. The branches stiould 

 be cut back so that they will be about one and one half inches in diameter 

 and two scions inserted in each stub. As a rule it is best to extend the 

 operation over two or three years and thus lessen the check to the tree. 



(3.) If the land has not been manured, as will generally be the case, it 

 should receive an application of twenty to thirty loads of decomposed 

 stable manure. The land if in sod should then be plowed, taking care to 

 injure the roots no more than is necessary. For at least two years the 

 land should be cultivated, either with or without hoed crops. Fifty to 

 one hundred bushels of wood ashes per acre can generally be used to 

 advantage. 



(4.) If the trunks of the trees are covered with a thick layer of dead 

 bark it will be well to remove it, taking care not to scrape into the living 

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