Nitrogen for Orchards. 213 



ducing a poorly matured growth, which will be likely 

 to suffer in winter. Orchards are grown for fruit, 

 not for forestry purposes. In general, it is better 

 to supply nitrogen by good cultivation which assists 

 nitrification and an occasional green -manure crop, 

 than by the application of nitrogenous fertilizers. 

 If the orchard is not growing, and is yellowish in 

 foliage, good cultivation begun early and repeated 

 very frequently in connection with the use of pot- 

 ash, phosphoric acid and green manures, will com- 

 monly correct it. It is probable that lack of 

 moisture is quite as much the cause of the weak- 

 ness as lack of nitrogen, particularly if the orchard 

 has been in sod. Now and then a tree will be 

 found which fails to respond to ordinary treatment. 

 If the tree is healthy that is, not attacked by dis- 

 ease or borers it may sometimes be brought into 

 a vigorous condition by applying to it a light 

 dressing of nitrate of soda ; but this treatment 

 need seldom be applied to an entire orchard which 

 has been well hnmllcd. 



An experiment made by the Cornell Station (Bul- 

 letin No. 153) gave very decided results from the use 

 of nitrate of soda alone. An apple orchard about 

 twenty-five years old and unproductive, standing 

 upon a rather hard and dryish light clay loam, was 

 plowed in the fall of 1894, and certain trees were 

 given an application of ten pounds of nitrate of 

 soda. Contiguous rows received heavy applications 

 of sulfate of potash and muriate of potash. All 

 materials were applied August 11, 1894. The or- 



