20 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



and ploughing under for two years in succession such crops as Canadian 

 peas and cow peas, this land had been fertilized with stockyard manure, and 

 heavily too; but for some reason we were unable to deposit in that soil the 

 element that was taken up. Consequently I am of the opinion that soil should 

 have some rest. This question is one that is very important, for the reason 

 that we have had the period of orcharding here in Michigan so that the soil has 

 been actually impoverished to some extent, and the way to build it \ip is a 

 question that I can't answer, and a c^uestion that is very important at the 

 present time. I believe that conditions are different here than they are 

 with Mr. Hale. I think that our climate is different, and the consistency 

 of our soil is different; but what needs to be done to build up this land is 

 a question to me, unless it is, as Mr. Hale says, using green crops and kitting 

 the soil rest. 



Mr. Benton Gebhart: I would like to ask Mr. Hale whether he has used 

 the potash and phosphoric acid freely the first or second year in replanting 

 those peach orchards where old orchards have been taken out with the yellows? 

 I have practiced this method of fertilizing heavily with hard wood ashes and 

 we made a success in planting right in. I have orchards now of four to five 

 years of age, and trees planted where there were 30 to 50 trees went out 

 in a year on an acre, and I have not discovered a single case of the yellows. 



I have also used hberally of both potash and phosphoric acid in all my 

 planting. 



Mr. Hale: I am glad to hear you say that. It gives me hope. Whether 

 it gives me faith or not I don't know. I have always been a liberal feeder 

 of potash. 



Mr. Halstead: How deep were they plowed? 



Mr. Hale: Every one thinks he plows deeper than he does. A man who 

 thinks he ploughs 8 inches deep usually gets about 5. I think that we 

 plough about 8 inches deep, and subsoil about 8 inches more; twice 8 would 

 be 16, and I guess about 11 or 12 inches, to get right at actual facts. When 

 you have broken up your ground 12 inches deep you have done so much 

 better than the rest of us do that you better be satisfied I think. We try 

 to do a good deal more than that, but I don't think we ever get as low as 

 we think we do. Perhaps we better call it a foot. 



Mr. Munson : I would like to ask Mr. Hale if he has ever had any trouble 

 with the aphis in planting trees soon after an old orchard? 



Mr. Hale: Oh, yes, we always have the aphis; but by a liberal use of 

 nitrate of soda, stimulating the trees to the very rapid growths, the roots run 

 away from them. I think j^ou can find aphis on the roots of young trees in 

 any old land. 



Mr. Munson: Has an}^ one here tried the using of tobacco dust in that? 

 And how much, if they have? I have had more trouble with the aphis 

 than anything else in planting over old land. 



Mr. Hale: Using tobacco dust or tobacco stems from the tobacco factory 

 is one of the choicest fertilizers you can get. Our tobacco men in the Con- 

 necticut Valley buy it by the hundreds of tons and use it as their choicest 

 fertilizer. It is the best form of potash they can get. It won't hurt the 

 roots, and it stimulates the tree. 



Q. Do you put that right next to the roots? 



Mr. Hale: Oh, yes, if in fear of aphis. 



Mr. Munson: Have you ever tried nitrate of soda on nursery trees? 



Mr. Hale: Certainly and always with success. 



