.10- 



This combination analyses about 7-8-7 and is especially good for 

 very acid soils, belov/ pH 5, In soils above pH 5, it is better to substi- 

 tute 710 pounds of sulfate of ammonia for the sodium and calcium nitrates. 

 This helps to make the soil more acid. The home gardener, to whom only 

 5-10-5 is available, does not need to worry. Since phosphorous is so rapid- 

 ly fixed in the soil, the extra amount in this combination v;ill probably 

 make little difference ono way or the other. 



Since young plants are so easily burned by soluble fertilizer, it 

 is better not to use any fertilizer the year the plants are set. The second 

 year a very small handful v;ell spread out may be used. Mixing an equal 

 amount of dry sand v/ith the fertilizer will facilitate spreadiiig. In suc- 

 ceeding years, the fertilizer can be gradually increased until GOO to 1000 

 pounds of the 7-7-7 mixture is used vihen the bushes are in full bearing. A 

 good rule to follov/ is 1 ounce per plant the year follov/ing planting and 

 increase this 1 ounce per plant per year until a total of 10 to 16 ounces 

 is reached. The amount to apply to bearing bushes depends on the fertility 

 of the soil and the response of the plants. In this climate, fertilizer had 

 best be applied in the spring. Fall applications may result in winter injury. 

 Although the fertilizer can be put on all at once, just as growth starts, 

 it has been found advantageous to split the amount and apply half v;hen the 

 plants start to grov; and the other half 3 to 4 vieeks later. In the Exper- 

 iment Station planting, v;here the soil is about pH 5, it has been found a 

 good practice to apply v;hen growth starts, 600 pounds per acre of the recom- 

 mended combination made up with sulfate of ammonia in place of nitrate of 

 soda and then about June 1 apply 100 to 150 pounds per acre of sulfate of 

 ammonia. 



Experiments carried on at Amherst have shown that manure can be used 

 on blueberries without producing the toxic effect that has previously been 

 supposed to follow its use. Two tons of good poultry manure v/hich contains 

 20 pounds of nitrogen per ton would be roughly equivalent in nitrogen to 

 600 pounds of 7-7-7. Two tons per acre is about 4 pounds per plant. The 

 amount of manure applied can be increased if there is considerable litter 

 in it. Since horse manure contains about 14 pounds of nitrogen per ton 

 and cow manure 12 pounds, 1 l/S times as much horse manure and 1 2/3 as 

 much cow manure as poultry manure can be used, 



— J. S. Bailey 



194 4 Fruit Prospects . Assuming average growing conditions in 1944, 

 total deciduous fruit production should be from 10 to 20^^^ greater than in 

 1943. Indicated percentage increases over 1943 for various fruits are about 

 as follows: apples 25, peaches 50, pears 15. There may be a decrease of 

 about 10/i for gi-^^s and~pr'JneT. C i'tr'u s p r oduc ti on will probably be main- 

 tainer near tKe'liigh leve'r~6*F~the past two years. 



Farm Income. The total cash farm income is higher in this war per- 

 iod than ~"3urlng' World War I. In 1943, it totalled 19.1 billion dollars, 

 31^0 more than the previous record income in 1919, yet prices per unit received 

 by farmers averaged considerably lower in 1943 than in 1919. (Agricultural 

 Situation, March, 1944). — Lav;rence Southv;ick. 



