FERTILIZING PEACHES 



It is well known that nitrogen is chiefly con- 

 gen cerned in producing growth. It effects the 

 color of foliage, the amount of growth made, the time and 

 character of flowering, the date of maturity of the crop, the 

 general health and vigor of the tree, and the composition of 

 the fruit. Enough available nitrogen should be present in 

 the soil to preserve the characteristic green color of healthy 

 plants, to promote a sufficiently vigorous growth to renew 

 the wood from year to year, and to insure the proper devel- 

 opment of the flower buds and maturity of the fruit. For 

 the reasons enumerated, if used in excess, the influence of 

 nitrogenous fertilizers will become injurious rather than 

 beneficial. Where it is necessary to use nitrogen it should 

 be applied early in the spring and may be derived either 

 from organic or inorganic sources, as determined by the 

 economy with which it can be secured and supplied. Nitro- 

 genous fertilizers should never be applied late in the 

 summer to a peach orchard because of its tendency to pro- 

 long growth and thus retard the maturing of the wood 

 and the ripening of the fruit. Where leguminous cover 

 crops are turned under as green manure, little or no addi- 

 tional nitrogen is required and' by this means also a valuable 

 supply of humus will be added to the soil. 



Eight 



