FERTILIZERS IN FRUIT GROWING 121 



be quite wide of the mark. A large part of the same min- 

 eral matter and nitrogen which are found in the leaves 

 while they are still green, may be found the next year in 

 the fruit crop. It is only the amount of plant-food found 

 in the leaves after they have fallen which can be reckoned 

 as a loss to the orchard. 



In July Professor Roberts, of the Cornell Experiment 

 Station, had all the green leaves picked from a Seek-no- 

 further apple tree of fairly thrifty growth but under normal 

 size, in an old apple orchard, and found that, calculated 

 from his results with this tree, an acre of orchard at that 

 season would contain over 8,000 pounds (four tons) of 

 leaves, and that in them there would be 33 pounds of 

 nitrogen, 13 of phosphoric acid, and 40 of potash — a larger 

 amount, probably, than would be found in them either 

 earlier or later in the season, and, probably, a good deal 

 more than they would take from the tree when they fell in 

 autumn. 



But what has all this talk of root systems and tree trunks 

 and leaves to do with fertilizers for fruits ? Why, everything 

 to do with it ! It is the knowledge of the book farmer, 

 which is applicable not simply to one orchard, one soil, one 

 set of conditions, but to all orchards and all soils. Now let 

 us see if from it all we can gather any practical suggestions 

 which may serve to quiet those who "seek after a sign;" 

 an agricultural recipe, definite and concise ; no cure, no 

 pay: 



First : Broadcast fertilizers in orchards. It is better 

 policy than to sow around each tree separately. Of course, 

 if you want to try doctoring a sick tree, that is another 

 thing — but a better thing is to pull out the tree and set 

 another. But you cannot throw bone dust and potash salts 

 into any part of a thrifty orchard where the tree roots wiU 

 not get at it. 



Second : If you cultivate, plow under the fertilizer 

 deeply, right after sowing. It keeps the main roots down 

 where they belong, and, if the fertilizer is turned in just 

 above them, it will sink somewhat as it dissolves, another 

 annual rootlet and root hairs will come up to get it, and, if 

 they are cut by next year's plowing, there is no harm 



