94 OKCHARD MANAGEMENT 



mature their wood, we may reasonably infer that their needs- 

 are satisfied. If, however, they begin to show sluggish growth, 

 and the foliage turns yellowish, we may infer that they are re- 

 ceiving insufficient food. If the soil is not mellow and friable, 

 it should be made so. A coarse and lumpy soil can be improved 

 by growing some rank-growing cover crop, as cowpeas or rye, 

 or by the use of farm manures, plowing them under in spring. 

 When working about the trees in spring a few handfuls of 

 ground bone and wood ashes spread about the roots and worked 

 in with a hand implement will prove beneficial. It often hap- 

 pens that orchards upon reaching bearing age are growing too 

 rapidly, and show little inclination to fruit. This is largely 

 the case when too much nitrogen is present. This condition can 

 be checked by allowing the orchard a rest for a season without 

 cultivation, or if cultivated, use non-nitrogenous cover crops 

 and apply fertilizers containing potash and phosphoric acid 

 only. These latter ingredients are heavily drawn on when the 

 trees begin to bear. It is estimated that an average crop of 

 apples removes eleven pounds of nitrogen, nearly one pound of 

 phosphoric acid, and sixteen pounds of potash per acre. 



Commercial fertilizers are commonly used for bearing or- 

 chards. When used in rich soil the results are quite marked, 

 but when applied to young trees in comparatively poor soil, 

 they are not as valuable of good barnyard manures. No rule 

 can be given for the proper application of fertilizers per acre 

 for successful orcharding. Every soil is necessarily different 

 from every other as regards physical, mechanical, and chemical 

 properties. From a study of the soil in question it is thought 

 that with the aid of the following tables one can judge from 

 previous experience as to what should be considered a liberal 

 application. 1 



Apple. 



/ (1) 50 to 100 lbs. nitrate of soda; or 

 For Nitrogen. < (2) 40 to 80 lbs. sulphate of ammonia; or 

 v (3) 80 to 160 lbs. dried blood. 



Available s (1) 300 to 600 lbs. bone-meal; or 

 Phosphoric < (2) 200 to 400 lbs. dissolved bone-meal or bone 

 Acid. C (3) 250 to 500 lbs. dissolved rock. [black; or 



1 The New York Agr. Expt. Station. Bulletin No. 94. New Series. 



