EXPERIMENT STATION WORK WITH APPLES. 561 



fertilizers were lest. There was a verv slight henetit ohserval)le from 

 the use of the potash, but no dltlereucc between the two different 

 forms. These results are considered remarkal)le in showing how diffi- 

 cult it is to make predictions as to tlu^ fertilizer re<(uirements of an 

 old orchard and the long time retjuired before the effects of the ferti- 

 lizers are visible. It was eighteen months l)efore the effects of the 

 nitrate of soda could be seen. In fertilizer experiments with apples on 

 sod at the Massachusetts Station" marked improvement was observed 

 only when nitrate of soda was used. 



At the Maine Experiment Station the use of nitrogenous fertilizers 

 alone greatly increased wood growth, but there wjls a noticeable lack 

 of color in the fruit. Trees fertilized with acid rock alone did not 

 appear l)etter than those in the check plats. Potash alone, however, 

 produced a distinct improvement. 



The same station * made an experiment to determine the effect of 

 potash fertilizers on the development of apple scab. The n)uriate of 

 potash, sulphate of potash, and kainit, respectively, were used on the 

 different plats at the rate of l,<i()0 pounds per acre over an area of 15 

 feet radius around each tree. The orchard was about 25 A'ears old 

 when the experiment began in LSOS, and each 3'ear since then the trees 

 have been regularlv fertilized as noted. The detailed results obtained 

 need not be given, but they show clearly *• that an excess of potash in 

 whatever form applied has no effect whatever in warding off attacks 

 of the apple scab." 



The New York State Station' in some experiments extending over 

 five years also found that potash in the form of wood ashes used at the 

 rate of lOO pounds per tree each season had no apparent effect in 

 decreasing apple seal). In these experiments it was found that the 

 color of the fruits of some varieties in some seasons was nuicli improved 

 by the use of ashes. In seasons which favored the i)erfect develop- 

 ment of the fruit, however, none of the varieties showed any imi)rove- 

 ment in color due to the use of the ashes. "Apparently the use of 

 ashes had a general tendency to hasten the perfect development of the 

 fruit. When the season was not especially favorable to perfect devel- 

 opment of the fruit it improved the keeping quality, but in a sea.son 

 very favorable to the perfect development of the fruit the ripening 

 processes were generally cairied so far where the ashes were used that 

 the apples did not keep so well as where no ashes were used." At the 

 Rhode Island Station ''an old, neglected, moss-grown, and unprofftiible 

 orchard was converted within three 3'ears into a thrifty, j)ay ing orchard 

 by ordinary attention to fertilizing, spraying, pruning, and tilling. 



No general conclusions can be drawn from the fertilizer work thus 

 fai- reported other than that an orchard in full bearing is as exhaustive 



«Ma«8achu8ettH Sta. Bnl. 66. cNew York State Sta. F?iil. 140. 



''Maine Sta. Hiil. si). </ RIukIc Island Sta. Bui. S:i. 



S. Doc. 148, 5H-2 m 



