-10- 



Recommendations for fertilizing peach orchards are given in the following 

 table. The amounts given may need to be increased if the trees are in a heavy 

 sod. A suggested increase would be to double the amount of nitrogen. 



Suggested Rates of Fertilizer for Bearing Peach Orchards 



W. D. Weeks 



I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I 



HOW GROWERS CAN HELP THE EXTENSION SERVICE 



The Extension Service both at the County and State level supplies up-to-date 

 and timely information to farmers but to make the service most effective it must 

 not be a one way road. Growers can help the Extension Service to effectively ful- 

 fill its obligation by: (1) reporting the occurrence of orchard pests, nutritional 

 difficulties or physiological disorders and (2) by making the Fruit Industry 

 needs known. 



Fruit growers are in their orchards, packing sheds or storages every day 

 while on the other hand the County Agent due to other commitments cannot visit 

 fruit growers daily. Thereby, the grower can help the County Agent and his 

 fellow growers by reporting early, unusual or severe outbreaks of some orchard 

 pest. For example, the County Agent may be working in the northern part of 

 his County while a grower in the southern part may observe the first indication 

 of scab. This information reported to the County Agent would be of benefit. 

 Reporting the occurrence of boron or magnesium deficiency, unusual amount of 

 internal breakdown of apples in storage, etc. are all examples of useful inform- 

 ation. It should be remembered that in most instances a particular problem is 

 not restricted to one farm. Although sometimes it makes a fellow wonder if this 

 is so'. 



How can the Extension Service know it is meeting the needs of the Fruit 

 Industry if growers fail to participate in the County Fruit Commodity Meetings? 

 Some growers may have the attitude that the County and State Fruit Programs are 

 based entirely on the suggestions of the County Agents and the State Specialists. 

 Nothing can be further from the truth as evidenced by some of the objectives of 

 the 1957-58 State Fruit Program stated below. These were included in the State 

 and County Fruit Programs as a result of grower suggestions at the County Fruit 

 Commodity Meetings held last November. 



1. Conduct a two day pruning school in Middlesex County with County Agents 

 and growers from other Counties invited. 



2. Supply information about airplane dusting to control diseases and insects, 



