ELEVENTH ANNUAL MEETING. 45 



of making use of the nitrogen in the soil, or rather of convert- 

 ing it into a form for the use of the plants. 



That type of plant is very valuable. The nitrogen is very 

 stimulating. I have seen, however, too much nitrogen cause 

 damage in a peach orchard. Too much nitrogen causes a too 

 rapid growth, and it is a growth which is susceptible to winter 

 killing, and which causes the fruit to ripen much later in the 

 season, and it makes it soften and more susceptible to rot. 



Too much nitrogen in a pear orchard causes an abundance 

 of succulent shoots, the type most susceptible to pear blight. 

 Too much nitrogen in an apple orchard ( if applied year after 

 year ) may cause the foliage to increase very largely so that 

 the trees become dense-headed, and the fruit on such trees is 

 very apt to be light-colored and probably of poor keeping 

 quality. Buyers get so they recognize this fruit in the market, 

 and it is, of course, afifected in price. On the other hand, where 

 the land is well supplied with nitrogen, we have seen the 

 Northern Spy produce a crop year after year for a series of 

 seven or eight years without a break, and where previous to 

 that it was hard work to get a fair crop every other year. So, 

 if a grower understands the danger from too much nitrogen, 

 and knows how to apply this stimulant, and when it is wise, 

 and knows how to check over-stimulation. — -it is the happy 

 medium which we should all try to attain. There is no ques- 

 tion, however, but with this class of leguminuous plants the 

 orchards can obtain the supply of nitrogen which thev need, 

 practically without cost, and it is a supply which is ample for 

 the purposes of the orchard. 



Now, there is another great group of plants that we may call 

 the non-leguminuous plants. That group is made up of rye, win- 

 ter oats, buckwheat, sowed corn or broom corn, rape and cowhorn 

 buckwheat, sowed corn or broom corn, rape and cowhorn 

 turnips. These plants are very useful to use when the soil is 

 hard, in order to get it into good condition. Hard, heavy soils 

 should first be broken up with the non-legumes like rape, turnips 

 or buckwheat, and after that, after the character of the soil is 

 improved, then you can use the clovers, vetches, and peas. At 

 the top of the golden scale of cover crops stands crimson clover, 

 needing the most thoroughly prepared soil, and of the greatest 

 value in orchards that have long been under tillage. Rve, rape. 



