THE USE OF FERTILIZERS IO3 



of soda, as would be indicated by the wood growth 

 from year to year. Following the customary prac- 

 tice among good growers, he recommends the use 

 of a cover crop such as cowpeas, clover or vetch to 

 furnish as much additional nitrogen as can be se- 

 cured in this way. Mr. Leavens also believes that 

 nitrate of potash may be valuable in some cases. 



In our own orchard our practice is to give each 

 tree one ounce of nitrate of soda at the time it is 

 set out. This is sprinkled on the soil about the 

 tree as soon as the planting is done. The orchard 

 is gone over later in the summer and a second ap- 

 plication of nitrate is given to such trees as seem to 

 be needing a little help. The second application 

 may be from one-half ounce to one ounce to the tree. 

 Soon after the first application of nitrate the trees 

 are given one pound each of a mixture made from 

 300 pounds sulphate or muriate of potash and 500 

 pounds of basic slag. 



The second year each tree gets from one to two 

 ounces of nitrate, depending upon the indications. 

 It is expected to get also two pounds of the mix- 

 ture of muriate and slag mentioned above. In suc- 

 ceeding years the amount of nitrate is regulated 

 chiefly by the growth of the trees, while the amount 

 of the potash and slag mixture is increased at the 

 rate of about one pound to each tree for each suc- 

 ceeding year. When the trees come into bearing, 

 however, they are expected to have approximately 

 800 pounds an acre a year of the mixture already 

 described ; that is, three parts of muriate or sulphate 

 of potash with five parts of basic slag. 



The fact is that no very definite rule can be laid 

 down for the fertilization of any crop, least of all 

 for such a crop as peaches. Soils and climates vary 

 greatly, and the variations of the soil and soil till- 



