Fertilizers for Peach Orchards 173 



The laying out of the different plats to receive the several 

 combinations needs to be done with care. The smallest 

 number of trees in each plat that can be considered satisfac- 

 tory is two ; more would be better. There should be at least 

 one tree in every direction between the different fertilizer 

 plats which is not included in the experiment; otherwise, 

 should two plats that receive different combinations be lo- 

 cated side by side with no intervening trees to separate 

 them, the effects of the plant-foods would be likely to over- 

 lap and the results would be confused. 



Each plat should receive the same plant-food combina- 

 tion every year as long as the work is continued. The 

 number of years it should be repeated is indefinite. Ob- 

 viously the real measure of the effects of the different plant- 

 foods is the fruit produced and the strength and vigor of 

 the tree. However, if the work is begun in the second year 

 after the orchard is planted, some strong indications of 

 what each combination is effecting might be obtained by 

 the time the orchard has produced its second or third crop. 



The interpretation of the results should not be difficult. 

 The condition of the trees in the different plats should be 

 compared, the fruit from each one measured or weighed 

 separately, and the results recorded for subsequent reference. 

 The appearance, size, and color of the fruit from the dif- 

 ferent plats should also be compared. 



Of course any difference in the first three plats which 

 receive respectively nitrogen and phosphate and muriate 

 of potash will be directly traceable to the plant-food ap- 

 plied in each case. Should the results of No. 4 be like No. 1, 

 it would be clear that the potash in No. 4 was giving no 

 returns for its use; and if No. 7, for instance, which has 

 acid phosphate and muriate of potash, gave no better returns 



