nor:~al 25-7ear-olL. a;"ple ti-eep according to tlie s^^eakor, re;v.ovcs about Ij lbs. 

 of nitrogen fron tlie soil each year, 'i'his is divided as xollov;s» '^evroraxY 

 re:vioval through drop^iing blossoras a^id leaves, .59 lbs., a;id per:.ianent re- 

 r.ioval through the fruit, seeds, v/ood, etc., .84 lbs. '^'his latter iten is 

 sub-divided as follows i Fruit .23 lbs., seeds .1 lbs . j v/ood .12 lbs., bark 

 .09 lbs., aiid roots .3 lbs. 



The perxorniance of an ap;^;le tree in 1940 de\;end3 wioi-e on the nitro- 

 gen noM stored in the tree than upon the araount we supply before bloori. T;^ere 

 is a ver'/ heav}" deuand for nitrogen during the first few v;ee!:s after Ercv;th 

 begins. The fruit and seeds contain aLaost as lauch nitrogen si;: weeks after 

 bloo:.! as th^y will contain at harvest tirae. 



In a study of the effect of nitrogen on color the nitroge:; content 

 of leaves fror.i 100 different trees has recently been analyzed and correlated 

 with aiuount of color, ti^nerever the nitrogen content of leaves at harvest 

 tivie x,u3 found to be l-^/^ or less of dry weight, the color was good. If the 

 nitrogen content of leaves at harvest tii.:o aiaountad to 2/" of the dry weight 

 the color v.'as found to be about 25,^ less, '-"-'his investigation do.nonstrates 

 the need for providing pleirty of nitrogen in the tree for use in spring with- 

 out having aii excess at harvest ti:.ie. 



Fror.i a practical standpoint the apple grower faces this problen- 

 How can v/e get nitrogen in the tree for 3^^ring gro;rbh and still not have 

 too much later in tlie soason' In ojher sections of the country vdiere fall 

 applications do not predispose the tree to winter injury, such applications 

 are ideal frou the staiidpoint oi" color bec^.use xhey tend to instire a. liberal 

 supply in spring when it is raost needed. Oolor has been fouaid to be slightly 

 better where nitrogen ws.s applied in the fall. This practice is not recora- 

 inended, however, in i'^ew -ngland. 



Under oua.- conditions an early spring application of a readily avail- 

 able nitrogenous fertilizer, before the grass gets under v.'ay, is very nearly 

 ideal. Such a practice results in less leaching than a fall application 

 because the grass tends to pull the water out of the soil during spring and 

 early sui'.raer about as fast as it falls. T:-iis is .,ot so during the fall and 

 Vulntor when grass is not active. Thus a spring application is iuore eccno::ii- 

 cal because tliere is less leaching. 



Under h'ew -England conditions an application of nitrogen v/iiich gives 

 about 1 lb. of actual nitrogen io a 25-year-old ti ce is _robj.".'_y Sc-tisfu-ctory 

 except where the grass is heavy. >^o are interested, of course, in getting 

 an adequate araount into the tree for use during the current season and the 

 araount which the tree receives will depend both upon the earlinoss of ap .li- 

 cation 'ind the aaount taken up by tli.j grass. 



In biennial bearing trees an application of fortilii:er in the off 

 year" tends to build up the nitrogen reserve for use the following season. 

 Less nitrogen is therefore needed in the spring of the on yeai-' and the fruit 

 is aliaost certain to h.ave better finish and better color because there will 

 be less nitrogen in the tree at harvest ti;;e. There are sdae indications in 

 j-Iew "iork State that a kiigh nitrogen content in the tree in late su;ajaer is 

 associated wich dropping of ^"clntosh. 



Sojig.-l£Lei3i£. .oiLi^rx^mrxL. AojJL ia..a^a..ia:i±. 



Heavy raulching will pro.aote grcriih a::d yield as well as, or better 

 than, airy co'.raercial fertilizer. % a "heavy riulch" is ;aea:it enough hay, 

 strav/ or si/dlar natcrials to suppress the grou-th of grass and weeds during 



