FERTILIZERS AND MANURES FOR THE ORCHARD 205 



sidered, certain plats have given increases sufficient to equal 

 the costs, or even to show a profit, but in other plats the 

 same plant food elements have shown a financial loss." ^ 



175. The New Hampshire experiments.— A somewhat 

 similar experiment - was conducted by the New Hampshire 

 Station. The orchard, which consisted of about 300 mature 

 Baldwin trees, was situated on a light soil. It was found, 

 after ten years, that the use of a complete fertilizer had de- 

 cidedly increased the growth of the trees and that after 

 the sixth year a better general appearance and darker green 

 color was evident. This is in contrast with the New York 

 experiment involving a heavier and richer soil, where such 

 a difference was nol evident until the fifteenth year. How- 

 ever, after twelve years' treatment, the fertilized plots 

 failed to respond in yield of frint, as they had made very- 

 slight gains and in some cases none over the first stimulus 

 of the cultivation. An increase in size of the fruit, however, 

 was distinctly noticeable, especially in the plot receiving 

 the following treatment high in potash: 2 pounds nitrate of 

 soda, 10 pounds sulfate of potash, and 8}^ pounds acid phos- 

 phate to a tree (Plot 10). It was observed, however, that 

 an increase in yield of fruit was to be expected in the near 

 future because of the greater size of trees, and hence bearing 

 surface. This is in accord with much of the work con- 

 ducted in well-tilled orchards, some requiring, however, much 

 longer to show the need of artificial "feeding" than others. 

 In fact, some may never reach the point at which it would 

 be economical to apply fertiUzers. The following table 

 shows not only the effect of the fertilizers but also other cul- 

 tural treatments as discussed in the previous chapter: 



1 Hedrick, U. P., and R. D. Anthony. Twenty years of fertilizers in 

 an apple orchard. N. Y. (Geneva) Agr. Exp. Sta. Bull. 460. 1919. 



2 Gourley, J. H. Sod, tillage and fertilizers for the apple orchard. 

 A ten-year summary. N. H. Agr. Exp. Sta. Bull. 190. 1919. 



