480 Report of the Department of Horticulture of the 



tilled and properly supplied with organic matter from stable manure 

 or cover crops, commercial fertilizers are little needed. The ex- 

 ceptions will probably be found on sandy and gravelly soils deficient 

 in potash or the phosphates and subject to droughts; or on soils of 

 such shallowness or of such mechanical texture as to limit the root 

 range of the apple plant; or in soils so wet or so dry, or so devoid 

 of humus, as to prevent proper biological activities in the soil. These 

 exceptions mean for the most part that a soil in this region possessing 

 the unfavorable qualities named is unfitted for apple culture — at 

 any rate there are still thousands of acres of available fruit land in 

 every part of the apple regions of New York that do not fall in 

 with the exceptions. There are probably many apple orchards in 

 New York that may be benefited by an application of one of the 

 chief elements of fertility. Some may require two of the elements. 

 Few, indeed, should require a complete fertilizer. 



How may a fruit-grower know whether his trees need fertilizers? 

 It may be assumed at once that if trees are vigorous, bearing well 

 and making a fair amount of new wood each season, they need no 

 additional plant food. If the trees are not in the healthful con- 

 dition described, the logical thing to do is to look to the drainage, 

 tillage and health of the trees first and the more expensive and less 

 certain fertilization afterward. 



As a last resort, fertilizers ought not to be used to rejuvenate 

 trees unless the owner has obtained positive evidence that his soil 

 is lacking in some of the elements of plant food. To obtain such 

 evidence a fruit-grower should carry on a fertilizer experiment. 



In making such a test, select a portion of the orchard as uniform 

 as possible, both in soil and varieties. If available, use at least 

 five trees for each plat and on different plats use fertilizers about 

 as in this Station test: (1) Acid phosphate to give about 50 pounds 

 of phosphoric acid to the acre, or 13 pounds of 14 per ct. phos- 

 phate to each tree if they stand 40 feet apart; (2) phosphate as 

 above and muriate of potash to give 100 pounds of potash to the 

 acre, or 8 pounds of muriate per tree; (3) phosphate and muriate 

 as above and nitrate of soda and dried blood to give 50 pounds of 

 nitrogen per acre, or 13 pounds of medium grade dried blood and 

 3f pounds of nitrate of soda per tree. This nitrogen might also be 

 supplied in six tons of good stable manure to the acre, or 400 pounds 

 per tree; (4) this amount of stable manure should be applied on 

 a fourth plat, and (5) a similar plat should be left unfertilized for 

 a check. This experiment is much less laborious and complex than 

 it looks, for the fertilizer combinations are built up one from another 

 and the mixing can be done and quantities weighed out in winter 

 when orchard work is not pressing. 



The fertilizers should be applied in the spring as soon as the 

 ground can be worked, spreading them about the trees over an area 

 somewhat greater than that covered by the spread of the branches. 



