l^'lKry-FlRST ANNUAL KEFOHT. 35 



The figures given above are the actual results that we obtained from 

 the use of fertilizer in Benzie county the past year. We need more 

 figures such as these before we can definitely adopt the use of fertilizers 

 in our orchard practice of growing fruit, but these results are so striking 

 that it would seem that every farmer in Benzie County should use nitro- 

 gen and perhaps acid phosphates on every fruit tree which he is grow- 

 ing, and if the results are any where near like these recorded, here, it 

 will be a paying proposition. In addition to the increased production 

 of fruit, the trees on which the fertilizer was applied are more vigorous, 

 retain a more healthy green color, hold their leaves longer and grow 

 better than the check trees. Those trees on which the fertilizer had 

 been applied have set a large number of fruit buds for another year, 

 and with their increased vigor bid fair to mature more of these buds 

 than the unfertilized check trees. 



RESULTS OF FERTILIZATION DEMONSTRATIONS OF HORTI- 

 CULTURAL DEPARTMENT IN ALLEGAN COUNTY. 



ALFRED BENTALL, COUNTY AGENT, ALLEGAN. 



I am going to be very brief because there isn't much to be said. I 

 want to speak, however, of some of the experiments we are carrying on 

 in Allegan County, both with the growers and with the Horticultural 

 Department of the College. I will speak first of one on the Abbott farm 

 where we have Wealthy trees being fertilized with five pounds each of 

 nitrate of soda, sulphate of ammonia, and acid phosphate, and some with 

 two pounds of potash. We are unable to see any benefit from the addi- 

 tion of the potash. We also used these materials on two or three kinds 

 of plums and cherries and cannot credit the potash with anything. 

 Neither can we see anything that can be credited to the acid phosphate. 

 If there is any difference in the rows of trees where the phosphate was 

 used we are unable to see it. We could, however, see a difference where 

 the nitrates were used. The foliage was much denser. In fact, the 

 trees were ten daj^s late in bearing and the fruit did not have nearly so 

 good a color. The trees had a large crop and had many fruit buds for 

 next year. There are not nearly so many on the unfertilized trees. 

 We found the cherry and peach trees in the same condition, with denser 

 foliage and with larger and firmer fruit and more fruit buds for next 

 year. 



The difference is very marked in Mr. Wadsworth's orchard. We 

 applied the second application to part of his orchard this year and he 

 wants it on all of his trees another year. We had a demonstration on 

 a crabapple orchard, twenty or more years old, which hasn't looked 

 right for several years. The trees were doing fairly well, but they looked 

 yellow. The land was good — the adjoining field had agood growth of clover 

 and alfalfa. This field was given an application of acid phosphate and in 

 addition each tree was given an application of sulphate of ammonia. 

 The difference was remarkable. The bark of the unfertilized trees 

 was very much lighter. This is most conclusive evidence to me because 

 this orchard has been a conundrum to use for some time. There are 

 scores of growers in Allegan County who can tell you much more than 

 I can. 



