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and they act as a stimulus for a short time. While I would 

 not disparage in the least the use of stable manure, especial- 

 ly where more vigorous growth is needed, if I was obliged to 

 take my choice between commercial fertilizer and stable 

 manure, I would take the chemical without hesitation every 

 time. 



There are fertilizers and fertilizers ; some act quickly, 

 while others last for years. Some fertilizers are dear at 

 $20.00 per ton, while some are cheap at $70.00 per ton. In 

 all my orchard reclaiming work, I have used no stable ma- 

 nure or mixed fertilizers. I buy the raw chemicals because 

 they are the cheapest and you know what you are getting. 

 In varying proportions I have used agricultural lime, Basic 

 Slag phosphate. Nitrate of Soda, Peruvian Guano, Sulphate 

 of Potash, Nitrate pf Potash. 



My main reliance has been, however, on Basic Slag, 

 Nitrate of Soda, and Sulphate of Potash and Clover worked 

 into the soil. 



The first years in reclaiming have used about as follows : 



150 Nitrate of Soda per acre. 



250 Sulphate of Potash per acre. 



500 Basic Slag per acre. 

 After the first year about : 



150-200 Sulphate of Potash. 



350-500 Basic Slag. 

 Use clover to supply Nitrogen. 



Be sure and broadcast fertilizer — in old orchard — do 

 not put up close to trunks of trees. 



THINNING THE FRUIT 



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

 dom in thinning peaches after they are large enough to de- 

 termine what shall be left on. Why should not this princi- 

 ple apply to apples as well? I wonder how many of you 

 have ever tried it. Unless you have tried it. I am sure you 

 would say impractical — that it would take too much time 

 and labor, and that the effort and expense would be all out 

 of proportion to the benefits derived. With the old fashioned 

 high headed trees way up in the air the expense would be 

 much larger, that is why I am advocating low headed trees. 



For the past three years I have made it a practice to 

 thin all my bearing trees the latter part of June, picking off 



