214 The Principles of Fruit-growing. 



chard was plowed again in the fall of 1895, and a 

 third time in the spring of 1896. None of the 

 dressings showed any effect in 1895, but in 1896 

 the trees which had received the nitrate of soda 

 were very remarkably superior to those which had 

 received the other treatments and to those which 

 had received none. They had very much heavier 

 and darker green foliage, so that they could be 

 readily distinguished many rods away, and they had 

 a heavier load of fruit, which was larger and finer 

 than that upon the other trees. This heavier crop 

 was probably not due to more profuse blossoming, 

 but to a less dropping of young apples. In 1897, 

 the trees still showed the effect of the nitrogen. In 

 1898, all effects were lost, and the trees and fruits 

 could not be distinguished from those which were un- 

 treated. 



Nitrogen -fertilizing often exerts a decided influ- 

 ence in delaying the maturity of fruit, and it is 

 worth 'while to consider the application of such fertil- 

 izers to winter apples which tend to ripen too early. 

 These fertilizers also tend to the production of low 

 colors in fruit. Lodeman found,* as the result of 

 experiment, that "the apples produced upon the 

 plot which was, in all probability, the richest in 

 nitrogen, were late, and they were also poorly 

 colored." 



Potash is generally the most important element 

 to be applied directly to orchards, particularly after 



* Rural New-Yorker, Jan. 2, 1897, 2. 



