1724 Report of Farmers' Institutes 



but the net income from an acre in sod was $71.52 and from an 

 acre in tillage $110.43, an advantage for tillage of $38.91. That 

 is, every dollar of the additional expenditure ($22.31) made 

 necessary for adopting the tillage method was not only returned 

 but brought an extra $1.74 of profits with it. 



^''^ FERTILIZERS 



Is it necessary to fertilize an apple orchard ? In the average 

 western New York tilled apple orchard, if it be well drained, well 

 tilled and properly supplied with organic matter from stable ma- 

 nure or cover crops, commercial fertilizers are little needed. The 

 exceptions will probably be found on sandy and gravelly soils de- 

 ficient 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. There are probably many apple orchards in Xew York 

 that may be benefited by an application of one of the chief ele- 

 ments 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 fertiliz- 

 ers ? It may be assumed at once that if trees are vigorous, bear- 

 ing well and making a fair amount of new wood each season, they 

 need no additional plant food. If the trees are not in the health- 

 ful condition described, the logical thing to do is to look to the 

 drainage, tillage and health of the trees first and the more expen- 

 sive 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 possil)le, 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 cent, 

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

 as above and rauriate of potash to give 100 pounds of potash to the 



