that we are after? We are after good quality, mature fruit, 

 iVuit of medium size, of good texture, firm, that will stand 

 to be shipped to any market that we may see fit to send it to. 

 Now, to do this means that the wood growth should be 

 checked early enough to allow that tree to mature its fruit, 

 and the fertilizer that we shall apply to this orchard should 

 be in quickly available form. In our State we grow n great 

 C'eal of sweet corn and every farmer who grows sweet corn 

 Imows this one thing, that he must put something under 

 that corn to give it a start, to get it away just as rapidly 

 as he can the first month of its growth, because he realizes 

 that he has only 90 or 95 days to mature that growth of 

 corn. The same thing applies to our orchard work; our 

 seasons are short and we have only a short time to grow and 

 mature this fruit ; therefore, it is very important that this 

 fertilizer be applied in an available form so that it will be 

 available as plant food through the growing season and not 

 become available in the latter part of the season when the 

 trees do not require a great deal of nitrogen. This probably 

 is where a great many orchardists at the present time, are 

 falling down with tlieir orchard fertilization. I am not here 

 to discuss the fertilization of orchards. Imt it is such an im- 

 portant factor in influencing the bearing and productiveness 

 of trees, that I must bring out some of the points that have 

 been driven home to me very forcit)l\' under my own condi- 

 tions and those in my immediate vicinity. Now, then, what 

 will be the source from which we are to derive our nitrogen 

 lor the orchard? Some will say ''What about hog-; in the 

 orchard?" I would not advise anybody to ever think of put- 

 ting a hog into an orchard that you are going to try to grow 

 respectable fruit in. Another man will say ''What about 

 hens? Hens ought to be a good way to fertilize an orchard; 

 put a lot of hens in the orchard." That is impossible under 

 Maine conditions. It is useless to think of fertilizing an 

 orchard with any kind of animals like that, but Avhat I be- 

 lieve wiill work out in 99 cases out of 100 is to apply that 

 plant food in the form of nitrate of soda and dried blood or 



