PEACH AND THE PEAR. 6/ 



keep an old orchard as long as it can possibly be made to 

 yield fair returns. A failing orchard may be seeded to 

 clover in the spring and ploughed under, the next June a 

 year, thus getting much nitrogen, etc., from the crop of 

 clover. There is a prevailing opinion that clover in a 

 peach orchard is death to the trees. Lack of cultivation 

 for the time is probably the trouble. I recommend the 

 appended formulae to be applied according to the rules 

 given for fertilizing the Peach tree. For an orchard 

 much run down with new wood under an average of 

 nine to twelve inches, with fruit lacking color and flavor, 

 the following is a good formula, and is recommended by 

 Prof Maynard in part : 



Formula No. i. 



Acid phosphate 400 lbs. 



Muriate potash 150 " 



Crude sulphate magnesia loo " 



Azotin I2C <' 



applied to each acre. This is a very strong dressing and 

 I would apply it only in case of Yellows, or trees rapidly 

 declining from any cause. One-half or one-third the 

 quantity may be applied, as occasion requires. Potash 

 alone is said to cause late growth. Phosphoric acid causes 

 early growth, and magnesia helps to diffuse and retain 

 the potash in the soil, and helps the flavor of the peach, 

 whilst ammonia makes the wood and improves the color. 



