No. 4.] COMMERCIAL ORCHARDING. 39 



the rost as a Texas steer is from a Shorthorn. It had qiial- 

 itj to it, — looked like the Oregon Spitzenbnrg-s, — while 

 that aeross the road was the nsnal uninvihng type of I)ald- 

 win too often seen. 



Another i)oint which we intend to insist on is giving the 

 young Irees a balanced ralion of fertilizer from the start. 

 I believe that a very eonnuon mistake is made by assuming 

 that the young tvoo needs only nitrogen for its growth, and 

 that not until a tree comes into bearing is there any necessity 

 of aii])lying either ]>otash or ])h(tsj)horic acid. So long as 

 our young trees ai'e as big as Smith's of the same age, we 

 are contt^nt, — mere bigness apparently being the only thing 

 desired; whereas, if our trees got more potash and phos- 

 phoric aciil from the start, they would far sooner turn from 

 wood growth to fruiting. This, I am obliged to admit, is 

 largely theory, l>ut it is a theory in which I firmly believe 

 and on which I intend to act. 



One other ])oint before we leave this matter of fertilizers, 

 and that is, the cpiestion of lime. I am satisfied that this 

 is another line of orchard fertilization which is altogether 

 too thoronghlv neelected. It has been mv observation that 

 the very best fruit lands are those which have in them a 

 large percentage of lime. It gives a sturdy, stocky growth 

 to the trees, and a high color and fine quality to the fruit. 

 We are therefore planning to give it a prominent place in 

 our list of fertilizers, and have already taken up the question 

 of where we can get it and in what form we shall apply it. 

 There are four different forms in which it can be had : first, 

 air-slacked lime; second, fresh-burned lime; third, hydi-ated 

 lime ; and fourth, ground limestone. Of these, we have de- 

 cided on the second, fresh burned, as the best for our pur- 

 poses. It w^ll cost us less than any of the others ($8.50 

 per ton at the kiln, or $(3.50 per ton laid down in Amherst), 

 and I believe for our purpose is better than any of the others. 

 It comes in small lumps, from the size of a pea to that of 

 a marble, has no dust, and can be scattered from the wagon 

 with a scoop shovel ; it also contains the lime in its most 

 condensed form, and w^e therefore get most for our money. 

 We shall use a carload of this the coming season, applying 



