1923.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 31. 11a 



Pomology Project 15. "Orchard fertilization." 



Professor Shaw. 



The records of this orchard for thirty 3'ears, together with those of the Graves Orchard 

 in South Amherst, have been studied and pubHshed in Bulletin No. 209. The new 

 schedule of fertilizer applications has been continued and the usual records taken. The 

 Rhode Island Greening trees bloomed heavily but there was a light set. The Baldwins, 

 on the other hand, set heavily from a sparse bloom. The yield from the check plot was 

 very light, due to a combination of light bloom, poor set and small fruit. 



Pomolog}' Project 16. "Test of different amounts of nitrate of soda." 



Professor Shaw and Assistant Professor Drain. 



The regular fertilizer applications have been made, and growth and j-ield records 

 taken. 



Pomolog3' Project 20. "Test of fertilizers for pears." 



Professor Shaw. 



While the apple and pear are closely related botanically, it does not necessarily follow 

 that thej^ require the same fertilizer program. A pear orchard about six years old and 

 about an acre in area, growing in sod, was divided into three parts in the spring of 1922. 

 One part received nitrate of soda at the rate of 300 pounds per acre; the second part, a 

 complete fertilizer of 300 pounds nitrate of soda, 300 pounds acid phosphate and 200 

 pounds sulfate of potash per acre; while the third part remained without fertilizer as a 

 check. There was a prompt nitrogen response by the grass, but the trees showed slight 

 if any response as indicated by leaf color. Growth and yield records of individual trees 

 are kept as in other blocks. 



Pomology Project 19. "Study of the effects of fertilizer limitation on fruit 

 plants." 



Professor Shaw. 



The field known as the North Soil Test field, which has had a continuous history of 

 over thirty years, has been set aside for work with fruit plants and was planted in the 

 spring of 1922 to apples, peaches, grapes and currants. The fertilizer applications are 

 being continued as before and are as follows: 



Plot 1. No fertihzer 



2. Nitrate of soda 



3. Acid phosphate 



4. No fertilizer 



5. Muriate of potash 



6. Nitrate of soda and acid phosphate 



7. Nitrate of soda and muriate of potash 



8. No fertilizer 



9. Acid phosphate and muriate of potash 



10. Nitrate of soda, acid phosphate and muriate of potash 



11. Land plaster 



12. No fertilizer 



13. Nitrate of soda, acid phosphate, muriate of potash and dried blood. 



The west halves of all plots have been limed from time to time, most recently in 1914. 



While this field presents very abnormal conditions, it was felt that it should give 

 some valuable information of the fertilizer needs of fruit plants. 



No responses to fertilizer treatment were seen before mid-July, but from then on there 

 were gradually increasing differences between the trees on the different plots. It was 

 evident that nitrogen and potash were both needed for the peach trees. There was 

 nothing to indicate that phosphorus was needed by the peach trees even on those plots 

 that had had no addition of phosphorus for thirty years. Indeed the peach trees on 

 plot 3, receiving only acid phosphate, were inferior to those on the check plots and es- 

 pecially so on the limed portion. 



