20 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



young trees not in bearing would need lesser amounts, probably not 

 over a jocund each and, jiorhaps, on (luite small trees no more than a hand- 

 ful or two. In cases where severe pruning is done, fertilization should 

 be reduced. 



It appears to be necessary to fertilize every year. In those instances 

 where a year or two have been skipjiod, there have been serious reduc- 

 tions in crops. There is little eifect from nitrate of soda or sulphate of 

 ammonia carried over to the following spring. The conditions which 

 are related to the need for these nitrogenous materials are apparently 

 recurrent. 



Different methods of applying the fertihzing materials have been tried. 

 Where the tree roots are practically filling all the space between trees, 

 the practice should be to spread the fertilizer over the entire orchard 

 floor except close to the tree trunks, where it would have no value. 

 Where the trees are small and the roots are not occupying the whole 

 space, the application may b(> in hollow l)ands, extending from a point 

 about half way between the trunk and the outer drip of the branches 

 to about the same distance or a little more l)eyond the tips of the branches. 

 Whether it is to be put on cultivated ground or on sod or in a heavy mulch, 

 it is simply broadcasted. The trees will get it in if api)lied two or three 

 weeks previous to l)loom. The results can be seen on the grass or cover- 

 crop within four or five days. 



In as much as it is often advisable to stimulat(! the growth of clovers 

 and grasses, it would be of value some times to use the nitrogenous 

 material ovei' the roots of the trees and the acid phosphate farther out 

 where it will be useful for the grasses alone. 



Most of our orchards are sod orchards. They are not plowed or 

 cultivated. Some of these orchards are mulched in addition, so the 

 problem of getting enough mulching material into those orchards to 

 conserve the soil moisture confronts the growers. This matter in our 

 hilly sections is considerable of a proposition. Straw is hard to get 

 and is too high in price. Some of the orchards are far from shipping 

 stations and the long haul is costly. On the other hand a heavy mulch 

 is of nmch advantage in crop production. 



Those who are using the cover crop system are finding that some ferti- 

 lization will help those crops. The best cover crop is usually the one 

 that will give the most bulk to tmii under in the Spring-rleguminous 

 or non-leguminous — aiul any additional giowtli which can be induced 

 by fertilization is therefore of value. 



The fertilization of the trees brought attention immediately to the 

 fact that the grasses in the fertilized i)lats wvvv also being stimulated 

 to vigorous development. With eacii succeeding y(>ar, the ground cover 

 became more dense and of better (luality. Experiments were begun 

 using double amounts of nitrat(> of soda and acid i:)hosphate, namely 

 ten pounds of each to a tree. It was found that it was ]K)ssible to grow 

 as much gi-ass right in the oichard to be used for mulching puri)oses 

 following the June mowing as could be furnished by ai)plying a bale of 

 straw to the tree. When nitrate of soda was used the coxcr developed 

 was chieHy blue grass (timotln*, r(>(l top an<l oi-chard grass). When acid 

 phosphate was used red and white clu\ci' lucanic piiedomiuajil. Ferti- 

 lization witii a coiiibination of these materials through a number of 

 years hiought in a luxuriant nnxture of all of the plants mentioned above. 



