PROCEEDINGS OF THE ANNUAL MEETING. 141 



the land is kept in fallow without crops, although it will aid in the prepara- 

 tion of plant food and in fitting the land as a seed bed, there will be a 

 marked loss of fertilizing elements through leaching and washing. If the 

 ground has some crop upon it, the roots of which fill the soil, the food as 

 it is developed is taken up and loss is thus prevented. 



In case the natural supply of plant food fails, it must be supplemented, 

 in some way, if we would work our machines — the plants — to their utmost 

 capacity. We have at our disposal a great variety of materials that will 

 supply the elements most likely to be needed. 



STABLE MANURE. 



The one that is most commonly used is stable manure, and while it has 

 many valuable qualities that adapt it well to many crops, for fruits it is 

 not an ideal fertilizer, especially if one is to place his sole reliance upon it. 

 We may say in its favor that if it has been carefully collected and pre- 

 served, without the loss of any of its valuable material, it contains all the 

 elements required for plant growth, and in about the proper proportion. 

 As a rule, however, a large part of the potash and phosphoric acid has 

 been wasted by leaching and in various ways, so that it is not a well bal- 

 anced fertilizer. Generally it is excessively rich in nitrogen, and a soft, 

 watery growth is promoted. Moreover, it is generally in a crude condition, 

 and as its constituents slowly become soluble, its effects are lasting. While 

 this may not be undesirable for some crops, it has one fault when applied 

 to tree fruits as it is likely to cause a late, sappy growth to be injured by 

 the winter. 



In a well decomposed condition, it is less likely to have an injurious 

 effect; and on light soil, deficient in organic matter, it is particularly desir- 

 able for all crops, although least beneficial to fruits. In this decomposed 

 form the application of ten or fifteen two-horse loads per acre will have 

 a marked effect upon any crop, provided the soil is naturally deficient in 

 plant food. If applied broadcast in the fall or early in the spring, this 

 amount, or only half or even a third as much, will greatly benefit the 

 growth of young trees and will enable a good crop of corn to be raised 

 between the rows. In a smaller dose, it may be applied around the indi- 

 vidual trees over a space with a diameter a little larger than the height of 

 the trees. 



In the application of manure, and to some extent that of other fertil- 

 izers, one should judge by the growth of the trees, of the necessity for an 

 additional supply of plant food over and above that found in the soil. For 

 fruit crops on soils that contain a fair supply of humus, the use of stable 

 manure, for the reasons given, can not be recommended, at least for any- 

 thing more than a partial fertilizer. It can, however, be used to furnish 

 humus, and as a source of nitrogen, but the main reliance can be placed 

 to advantage upon the more concentrated mineral fertilizers. When stable 

 manure has to be hauled any distance over two or three miles, its bulk 

 renders its cost so great, when the labor of man and team is considered, 

 that the chemical manure will be found cheapest if we consider only the 

 value of the fertilizing material contained in the manure. While we would 

 urge all farmers and fruitgrowers to husband all the fertilizing materials 

 that are produced on the farm, and while we believe that the team can be 

 used to advantage during the dull seasons in hauling stable manure from a 



