170 One Thousand Questions in Agriculture 



formed by observation. When you have the tree to advise you of 

 the condition of the soil, you do not need a chemist, although if the 

 tree manifests serious distress and is unable to make satisfactory 

 growth the suggestions of a chemist may be very helpful. 



Fertilizing Oranges. 



What is the general and what do you consider the ideal, manuring, 

 and when applied for orange trees from 15 to 12 years old under irri- 

 gation F I use about 2 cwt. each of superphosphate, nitrate of soda and 

 sulphate of potash per acre, but am dissatisticd zvith my yields as com- 

 pared with yours in California. 



There is not only no standard for fertilizing orange trees, but 

 there is no "ideal" which might be considered as a basis for a stand- 

 ard. All growers who are awake to the necessity of doing something 

 for bearing trees, try all things and hold fast to what (they think) 

 is good. Practically none of them has any enduring conviction or 

 demonstration as to what is good, but they keep on trying. There is, 

 however, one clear and enduring conviction, and that is, that con- 

 tinuous fertilizing must be done for profit, and our best growers are 

 using the same materials you mention in considerably larger amounts 

 than you apply, and use also other forms of nitrogenous fertilizers. 

 The amounts of superphosphate and nitrate which you use would be 

 considered homeopathic treatment by our growers. 



Cow Stable Drainage for Fruit. 



/ have been told that the drainings from a cozv barn make an ex- 

 cellent fertilizer for orange and lemon trees, in fact, anywhere on plants 

 where manure is considered beneficial. 



The drainage from a cow barn is excellent for fertilizing almost 

 any crop unless it is used in too large quantity. If it should be 

 combined with a considerable amount of water used for cleaning out 

 the stable, it would be excellent for the irrigation of all kinds of fruit 

 trees. Care should be taken, however, not to oversaturate the ground, 

 which would be the case if the washing of the stable was allowed to 

 run continuously alongside a single row of trees. The water should 

 be changed from row to row in succession, cultivating the ground 

 meantime to promote aeration and to prevent too great compacting 

 of the soil. 



Seed Farm Refuse as a Fertilizer. 



Would cleanings from sweet peas or all kinds of seeds groivn on a 

 seed farm be of any value as a fertilizer on sandy loam soil for an 

 orchard f This has been in a pile for three years or more, and I can 

 get it for the hauling. There are a hundred loads or more of it and 

 not very far to haul. 



It would be worth more on a heavy soil, because the danger of 

 drying out would be less and the surety of reduction to humus 

 greater. To get the highest value from such stufif it should be com- 



