24 The Bulletin. 



a struggle to maintain its existence. There is a good deal of plant 

 food locked up in the wood of the root, trunk and branches (the work- 

 ing parts of the tree). It is only the surplus, after all necessities for 

 growth are satisfied, that can go into fruit production. Growers 

 often complain of their trees casting their fruit. This is because the 

 tree finds itself unable to produce fruit and have a living balance left ; 

 so to maintain its existence it casts off its fruit. After a heavy crop 

 many trees succumb because they have not sufficient reserve force left. 

 Such trees could be saved by a fertilizer application supplying some of 

 the ingredients exhausted by the crop. 



A tree that is growing and building up its system of trunk and 

 branches above and below ground requires a different fertilizer from 

 a tree that already has these formed and is able to produce fruit. 

 Growing tissues require considerable nitrogen and less of phosphoric 

 acid and potash. Fruit production requires on the other hand a 

 maximum of phosphoric acid and potash with a reduced amount of 

 nitrogen. Stable manure is one of the very best fertilizers for young 

 trees, but if used in large quantities on mature trees may stimulate 

 too great a growth of wood at the expense of fruit production. Ashes 

 are one of the best fertilizers obtainable for bearing trees. Where 

 cover crops are used in the orchard they supply sufficient nitrogen to 

 keep the trees in a good growing condition. If a dressing of acid 

 phosphate and kainit at the rate of 250 pounds of each per acre be 

 applied it would put the trees in good fruiting condition. One of our 

 most successful growers uses for growing trees on light land the fol- 

 lowing fertilizer : 



Phosphoric acid, 8 per cent ^ 



Nitrogen 5 per cent > 500 pounds per acre. 



Potash 2 per cent J 



And for fruiting trees on similar land : 



Phosphoric acid, 8 per cent ) 



Nitrogen 3 per cent r 500 pounds per acre. 



Potash 10 per cent > 



CROPS IN THE ORCHARD. 



At the proper distance of setting there will be in a young orchard 

 a considerable proportion of land not in use by the trees. This can 

 be conveniently and profitably used by other crops until the trees get 

 large enough to need the whole land. When of bearing age a tree 

 should have all the land on which it stands. It is not possible to pro- 

 duce two crops on the same land at the same time. If in a mature 

 orchard the land is used to produce other crops, very little can be 

 expected from the trees. In young orchards cultivated crops may be 



