THE USE OF FERTILIZERS lOI 



New Jersey Experiment Station, recommends that 

 the following kinds and amounts of fertilizer be ap- 

 plied to each acre of the peach orchard annually 

 and plowed under: 



Sulphate or muriate of potash, 150 pounds. 



Ground bone, 100 pounds. 



Acid phosphate, 200 pounds. 

 Where the soil appears to be deficient in nitro- 

 gen, especially if the trees fail to make a satisfac- 

 tory growth the first season, he recommends that 

 150 pounds of nitrate of soda to the acre be added 

 to the above formula. For the first two or three 

 years, during which time a vigorous growth is espe- 

 cially to be desired on young peach trees, the addi- 

 tion of a fair supply of nitrate of soda is rather 

 important with this formula. When the trees come 

 into bearing it is necessary to reduce the amount of 

 nitrogen, or at least the proportion of nitrogen. It is 

 possible for bearing trees to make too much growth. 

 Excessive growth may interfere with the ripening 

 of the current crop, and also with the formation of 

 fruit buds for the succeeding crop. 



Voorhees states in his textbook on fertilizers that 

 on good soil no added plant food is needed on peach 

 trees until the third year, but this must be under- 

 stood with reference to potash and phosphoric acid 

 rather than with reference to nitrogen, for a certain 

 amount of nitrogen will certainly be required. On 

 poorer soils, he would use equal parts of raw ground 

 bone, acid phosphate and muriate of potash, applied 

 at the rate of 400 to 600 pounds to the acre annually. 

 He recommends that this amount be somewhat in- 

 creased, and from 100 to 150 pounds of nitrate of 

 soda added in those years when a heavy crop is 

 expected. However, he emphasizes the danger of 



