FEETILIZING PEACHES 



viding they do not stimulate an excessive wood growth at 

 the expense of the fruit yield. Compact and heavy clays are 

 not satisfactory soils as a rule on which to grow peaches. 

 Where soils are too rich, that is, contain an over abun- 

 dance of nitrogen in proportion to the supply of the mineral 

 elements, phosphoric acid and potash, the tendency is to 

 prolong the growth too late into the fall, resulting in the 

 wood and buds not maturing properly, and therefore ren- 

 dering them more susceptible to winter killing. 



Influence of Essential Elements on Plants 



The fact that the peach produces more freely than most 

 other fruit crops is clear evidence that it is a heavy consumer 

 of plant food when compared on the acre basis. It has been 

 estimated, for instance, that peaches require about five 

 times more nitrogen, phosphoric acid, and potash than 

 apples, and six times as much lime and two or three times 

 as much of each of the chief constituents as pears. It would 

 appear, therefore, that, owing to the thinner and poorer 

 soils on which peaches are usually planted, generous feed- 

 ing with commercial plant food becomes more essential 

 than with tree fruits grown on richer soils. In this con- 

 nection it is well to consider some of the special factors 

 entering into the fertilization of the peach. 



