27 



MANURING ORCHARDS. 



We are only going to deal in a few words with this important 

 matter, recognising the fact that almost always and everywhere 

 throughout the country trees planted will need manure ; we will 

 simply say that we are very much against such manure being- 

 applied at the time of planting the trees our general principle 

 being that we prefer to plant with no manure to enable us to 

 form an opinion as to what the soil will do unaided, as should 

 manure be applied at planting one can never form any opinion 

 should the growth be satisfactory as to how much is due to the 

 application of the manure, and as to how much natural fertility 

 there may be already in the soil ; one is therefore a bit fogged in 

 the intelligent application of the manure in future years. There 

 are just one or two considerations as regards the time of applica- 

 tion. It is recognised of course by any novice that manure of 

 whatever kind is of no value to a plant unless it is brought into 

 solution by aid of water, either through the medium of rains, or 

 by it being led in, therefore should your orchard be one where 

 the trees are grown without irrigation, the manure must be 

 applied during t.he rainy season, if it is a very soluble manure, 

 as guano, sulphate of potash, nitrate of soda, &c., a few inches of 

 rain upon it will bring about the desired effect. If it is not so- 

 soluble as Thomas Phosphate, bone meal of coarse grade, &c., it 

 will require more water when it is necessary to get early results, 

 therefore we would say, use your judgment as to the date of 

 application of the manure, according to the particular stuff you 

 wish to apply. 



Speaking as to the sort of manure we can only lay down as a 

 sound principle that if one wants to force growth, nitrogenous 

 and potash manures will do it, and if one wishes to force fruit, 

 potash manure and phosphatic manures should be used, and 

 nitrogenous manures carefully avoided. 



In applying don't give it to the stem of the tree, manures- 

 can be absorbed by the tree only when entering through the fine 

 feeding roots, the thick roots at the base of a tree do not assist to* 

 feed it, they are unable to take in either suNtenance or moisture. 



