Soils, Fertilizers anh Irrigation 169 



Nitrate of soda will act alone and will stimulate growth, and 

 there are cases in which there is enough phosphate and potash 

 already in the soil to act with it. Usually, however, it is customary 

 to use a complete fertilizer containing phosphate and potash as well 

 as nitrogen, in order that the plant may be more roundly supplied 

 and promoted, and one would be a little safer in using that sort of 

 fertilizer than in relying upon the nitrate of soda alone. You will, 

 of course, be careful not to use these fertilizers in too large amounts, 

 for nitrate of soda is especially dangerous if used in excess. 



Almond Hulls and Sawdust. 



Is there any fertilising value in the hulls of almonds? Would pine 

 sawdust from the lumber mills be a good substance to mix in and plozu 

 under in a three-acre adobe patch in order to loosen and lighten the 

 soil for truck gardening? 



Almond hulls have considerable fertilizing value, but they are 

 slow to decompose, and, therefore, may be a long time unused by 

 the plant. They also have a good feeding value for stock, and if 

 you can expose them in the corral so the stock can eat as they like, 

 this is the best way to get them into fertilizing form. If they can 

 be cheaply ground their availability as a fertilizer would, of course, 

 be quickened. Redwood sawdust is better than pine sawdust, but 

 any kind of sawdust can be made to serve a good purpose in mellow- 

 ing heavy soils if not used to excess and if there is plenty of moisture 

 to promote decay. 



Fertilizing Fruit Trees. 



/ have an orchard of prunes, apricots and cherries, which has been 

 bearing since some 30 years ago, without fertilisation, except possibly 

 muddy sediment from occasional irrigations of mountain streams. Various 

 people are advocating the use of nitrates and other fertilisers. Should 

 I have samples of this earth analysed in order to ascertain ivhat the 

 soil most needs? 



To find out whether your trees need fertilization, study the tree 

 and the product and do not depend upon chemical analysis of the 

 soil. If your trees are growing thriftily and have sufficiently good- 

 sized leaves of good color, and if fruit of good size and quality is 

 obtained, it is not necesssary to think of fertilization. If the trees 

 are not satisfactory in all these respects, the first thing to do is to 

 determine whether they have moisture enough during the later part 

 of the summer. This should be determined by digging or boring 

 to a depth or three or four feet in July or August. The subsoil 

 should be reasonably moist in order to sustain the tree during the 

 late summer and early fall when strong fruit buds for the coming 

 year will be finished. If you are sure the moisture supply is ample, 

 then fertilization either with stable manure or with commercial fer- 

 tilizers containing especially nitrates and phosphates should be under- 

 taken experimentally, in accordance with suggestions for application 

 made to you by dealers in these articles, who are usually well in- 



