Winter Meeting. 285 



and nitrate of soda. "While the barnyard manure and sheep manure 

 were both good fertilizers for them to use, thej did not contain suiRcient 

 phosphoric acid. The result was where this kind of fertilizing had been 

 done, while having a good wood growth, their fruit was very coarse. 

 "Where acid phosphate and nitrate of soda had been used, the quality of 

 fruit was considerably improved. But they were troubled a good deal 

 from dropj)ing of fruit. The reason of this, we believe, was that the 

 acid phosphate and nitrate of soda (being very quick acting fertilizers 

 and more of a stimulant than a feed) gave the trees a sudden improve- 

 ment, but that the sustenance from this kind of fertilization was ex- 

 hausted before the next application; hence the sudden weakening of the 

 vitality of the tree, and the dropping followed. 



In California, as most of you probably know, the tree is working 

 practically twelve months in the year. "When the writer was there, 

 there were orange blossoms, tiny oranges and ripe oranges on the same 

 tree. 



After a thorough investigation we concluded that what the Cali- 

 fornia fruit growers required for a tree that was working practically all 

 the year around was a steady feed, and not a quick acting fertilizer, such 

 as they were getting from an acidulated article; and we have since con- 

 vinced a large number of the California ranchmen that a packing house 

 animal fertilizer, unacidulated (that is, not treated mth sulphuric acid) 

 is the very best fertilizer for them to use because it furnishes a steady 

 sustenance to the trees, and that one application is not exhausted when 

 the other application is made. They usually make two applications a 

 year; and this continuous food keeps the trees in a healthy condition, 

 and has reduced the dropping of fruit materially. 



The experience we have had with our California brands in that 

 state has demonstrated to the entire satisfaction of our customers that 

 the proportion of nitrogen, phosphoric acid and potash for the different 

 soils as directed by us have brought about best results. 



Our formulas are based on the assumption that a tree has been re- 

 ceiving the proper proportions of nitrogen, phosphoric acid and potash, 

 l)ut our agents are all thoroughly posted by us as to how to remedy any 

 apparent deficiency in wood growth, leaf, or quality and size of fruit; 

 and where there is an apparent deficiency of either of these three parts, 



