218 The Principles of Fruit-growing. 



sufficiency of lime as plant -food, apply lime at the 

 rate of twenty -five bushels per acre once in five 

 years. To provide, in addition, an abundance of all 

 forms of available plant -food at the times needed 

 for the development of the tree and fruit, apply 

 annually chemical fertilizers in the following pro- 

 portions : 



"Nitrate of soda 100 Ibs. 



South Carolina rock superphosphate 100 " 



Ground bone 200 " 



Muriate of potash 200 " 



"The amounts to be applied depend upon the 

 character of the soils, as previously outlined, the 

 kind of fruit, and the age and vigor of the tree ; 

 these given perhaps mark the minimum. 



"In a number of best orchards the quantities 

 applied are very much larger than is here indicated, 

 and the larger application is believed by the grow- 

 ers to be proportionately profitable. 



"By the recent introduction of crimson clover, 

 we have a plant admirably adapted to supply cheaply 

 nitrogenous vegetable matter for orchards, and its 

 growth is to be recommended wherever the plant 

 can be successfully grown, instead of the use of 

 barnyard manure, particularly upon the poorest soils, 

 until they are abundantly supplied with vegetable 

 matter. The clover should be plowed down early in 

 the season, in order not to retard the spring growth 

 of the trees. Where the conditions are favorable 

 for the growth of clover, the application of nitrate 

 of soda may be omitted." 



