STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 83 



the aid of a proper fertilizer. In the present experiments, 

 whenever any cultivation was given to one plot, it was given 

 throughout. Every other operation except the fertilization is 

 kept absolutely uniform, so far as this is possible. It was in 

 the other experiments, those directly on cultural methods, in 

 which I had a comparison of the availability of fertilizer under 

 tilled and untilled conditions. 



Ques. Was grass growing in those orchards where there is 

 no cultivation? 



Ans. Some. Comparatively light sod in both of them. 



Ques. You would recommend the application of the same 

 number of pounds of fertilizer per acre, regardless of the num- 

 ber of trees per acre? 



Ans. I think so. These amounts are supposed to cover prac- 

 tically the entire area. Now, as I say, we have used and we are 

 using in our regular fertilization experiments, 50 pounds of 

 nitrogen and 100 pounds of phosphoric acid, and 150 pounds of 

 potash. That is because we didn't know when we started these 

 experiments that potash was really so little needed. We were 

 going on the data that was available at that time and the idea 

 was that you wanted to use lots of potash in your orchard. Of 

 course when you start out with a treatment, you have to con- 

 tinue it, when definite experiments are involved. 



Ques. It is usually said that in using barnyard manure great 

 advantage comes from the humus. This is fertilization without 

 any cover crops or plowing. What about the humus supply of 

 those trees ? 



Ans. Well, I don't know that there is very much difference 

 between the different plots. At any rate, you notice that we are 

 getting excellent yields merely from the fertilization, and with- 

 out the tillage or cover crops. 



Ques. I have always been taught that it was the humus that 

 we were looking for in general farming, and that without humus 

 we could not get results. We must keep a supply of humus, or 

 our land would all run out. You are getting no humus stored 

 and I would like to ask how many years it has been going on, 

 and whether I could produce good paying crops under the 

 methods you recommend? 



Ans. That brings up the question of the permanence of fer- 

 tilization. There is often a general impression that the influ- 



