630 Agricultural Experiment Station, Ithaca, N. Y. 



II. SOIL DEPLETION BY THE GROWTH OF NURSERY 



TREES. 



The object of this investigation was to determine the amount of 

 fertility removed from the soil by the growth of various kinds of 

 nursery stock. As both tops and roots are removed when the trees 

 are sold they are both included in the investigation, although the 

 proportion of tops and roots is given separately. 



In October, 1894, twenty-four apple, pear, peach and plum trees, 

 six of each kind (Fig. 145) were received from the firm of Smiths & 

 Powell, Syracuse, N. Y. They were thrifty and straight, had been 

 dug with care and were in every way suitable for planting in the 

 orchard. The kinds were as follows : 



The roots were washed and dried, the trees weighed and photo- 

 graphed. 



The six trees of the various groups weighed as follows : 



Table XXI. 



Apples. 

 7.6 lbs. 



Pears. 

 7.48 lbs. 



Peaches. 

 6.6 lbs. 



Plums. 

 6.04 lbs. 



The tops were severed from the roots at the point corresponding 

 with the surface of the ground, as the trees had originally stood in 

 the nursery row. The tops and roots were measured, weighed and 

 prepared for the chemist by first running them through a strong 

 fodder-cutter and then by grinding them in Mann's green bone- 

 cutter. 



Table XXII. 



Nursery Trees. 



Weight of tops. Weight of rootB. 



Lbs. Lbs. 



Apple 4.44 3.16 



Pear 3.97 3.52 



Peach 4.10 2.50 



Plum 3.82 2.22 



