78 BOAED OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



properly, and he has left it open to you. If you wi,sli to ask 

 any question on any particular phase of fruit culture, you 

 have now an opportunity. 



Mr. Dyer, With what do you feed your peach trees? 



Mr. Hale. "With chemical fertilizers solely. Potash in 

 some form, the cheapest form in which we can get it, and 

 phosphoric acid. The phosphoric acid has always heen 

 supplied from fine-ground bone, the potash mostly from 

 hio-h-ofrade muriates. We sometimes use Canada ashes, 

 but potash in some form is always used. We do not apply 

 nitrogen except what little comes from the tine-ground bone 

 and from the ploughed-in clover. AVhen the trees are lirst 

 set, large holes are dug and in the earth that is put back 

 there is considerable line bone, perhaps two pounds of bone 

 to a tree. After the tree is set potash is spread on the sur- 

 face round the tree, and after this first year it is always 

 spread broadcast over the land. These two fertilizers are 

 never mixed. We think that the more sandy portions of 

 the orchard ought to have a little more potash, and we can 

 best supply this by spreading them separately. 



Question. How much to the acre ? 



Mr. Hale. That has always been all we could afford, and 

 sometimes more. But, to answer you in a general way, about 

 twelve hundred pounds of bone to the acre, and from four 

 hundred to eight hundred pounds of muriate of potash. 

 Probably the muriate of potash would average about five 

 hundred pounds to the acre. That is an excessive appli- 

 cation of potash, but we want to give just as much as the 

 trees will use, and a little more. 



Question. Is not that quite a large proportion ? 



Mr. Hale. It is a pretty good proportion, but we have 

 felt that we would rather have twice too much than regret 

 having a single ounce too little. Every year since the trees 

 were planted they have had it, and they will get it as long as 

 they live, if we can earn or borrow the money to l)uy it 

 with. 



Professor RomoitTs. As between the diflerent salts of 

 potash, muriate, kianite and sulphate, which would you 

 prefer ? 



