48 THE CONNECTICUT POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



from a cultivated than from an orchard in sod. Some of us 

 have even cultivated too much or continued it too late in the 

 season. I am frank to say I think I have made mistakes in 

 this direction. When a tree is making a too vigorous growth 

 I believe it is better to seed down with a good clover sod for 

 a year or so and then break up again. Use a Clark's orchard 

 harrow for breaking up sod where it is not advisable to break 

 surface roots with a plow. 



Fertilization. 



To help promote a vigorous wood growth as well as a 

 fine texture fruit some form of fertilization is necessary. You 

 still hear occasionally of people who will claim it is impossi- 

 ble to keep up the fertility of the soil without the use of sta- 

 ble manure, that commercial fertilizers are a fraud or only 

 act as a stimulus for a short time. While I would not dis- 

 parage in the least the use of stable manure, if I was obliged 

 to take any choice between stable manure and agricultural 

 chemicals, I would take the chemicals without hesitation every 

 time. There are fertilizers and fertilizers ; some act quickly, 

 while others last for years. Some fertilizers are dear at $20 

 per ton, some cheap at $70. In all my orchard reclamation 

 work I have used no stable manure or mixed fertilizers. I 

 buy the raw chemicals because they are cheapest, and you 

 know what you are getting. I have used agricultural lime, 

 basic slag, nitrate of soda, sulphate of potash, and nitrate of 

 potash ; but my main reliance has been on basic slag, nitrate 

 of soda, sulphate of potash and clover. The first year I used 

 about 150 pounds of nitrate of soda, 250 pounds of sulphate 

 of potash, 500 pounds of basic slag. Afterwards give an an- 

 nual dressing of 150 pounds sulphate of potash, 300 to 400 

 pounds of basic slag. Broadcast the fertilizer ; but keep it 

 away from the trunks of the trees. 



Thinning the Fruits. 

 No one, I think am safe in saying, questions the wis- 

 dom of thinning peaches after they are large enough to deter- 



