FERTILIZING PEACHES 



for himself in order to determine the plant food require- 

 ments of his trees. An analysis of the soil, while of some 

 value as an index to the total plant food supply, may give 

 the orchardist a false idea of the richness of his soil, for 

 it must be remembered that the plant food elements may be 

 in a partly or wholly insoluble condition, and, therefore, 

 unavailable as an immediate source of nourishment to the 

 trees. 



Where and When to Apply Fertilizers 



Every fruit grower knows that the roots absorb the 

 plant food used in the process of tree growth ; it, therefore, 

 follows that fertilizers should be applied in the vicinity of 

 the roots, as indicated in the accompanying illustration. 

 The fertilizer should be scattered evenly over the ground 

 and well worked into the soil with a rake, harrow, or other 

 form of tooth cultivator that will mix it with the surface 

 layer of soil to a depth of at least three or four inches. 



The time to apply fertilizers to deciduous trees, such as 

 the peach, is before they commence to bloom. Stable 

 manure and all slowly available sources of plant food 

 should be spaded or plowed in during the late fall or early 

 winter. The more readily soluble fertilizers should be 

 evenly distributed as early as possible in the spring. Where 

 the soils are heavy, fertilizers should be applied deeply, but 



Twenty-Three 



